Tides of Jikan
by Agent Moonlight
Summary: There is a time and place for everything. However, May is not in the right time or place, and it feels like the whole world knows that. So maybe not everyone will understand her pop culture references, affinity for all things kawaii! worthy, and her atypical behavior. It could be worse... Please note the sarcasm in the previous sentence. (Seriously taken OC stuck in Hetalia story)
1. Chapter 1: Falling

**Welcome to my first Hetalia fanfic and my first OC story! This was inspired by KazeHavensTsubakis' _Allied with the World_ , so go check out her great fanfic! I hope you enjoy, because I really did put effort into this!**

 _Thoughts/flashbacks/dreams_

 _Thoughts in flashbacks/dreams_

Normal

 **Disclaimer: I totally own Hetalia, can't you see from the way I took time to write a fanfic instead of making this plot into an actual episode? ...For those that don't understand sarcasm, no, I don't own Hetalia.**

 **Updated: 11/1/16**

* * *

 **Jikan** (also known as 時間): The Japanese word for **Time**

* * *

A myriad of voices in a thousand different tongues whispered in my ear, and a part of me wanted to ignore it and continue to rest.

But curiosity had always been a fault of mine.

"...ssShhhfffww...Wfffshhh..."

However, it was a struggle to awaken when my head felt like it had been stuffed with lead, my hearing was overwhelmed by the fading whispers, and my limbs felt as if they were attached to iron weights. I wasn't fully conscious, just in the beginning stages of awakening, but I was aware enough to know how I really disliked the out-of-body experience I was having.

 _Like...swimming._ It reminded me of the feeling I got when I was a child at the pool, and I tried to walk underwater like I did on land; it was a feeling of weightlessness, frustration, and a detachment from the outside world.

 _It's...wrong._ It wasn't a pleasant sensation, not that it pained me, but it was uncomfortable and made me feel pathetically weak. And while I had been in numerous states of health throughout my nineteen years of life, weak had scarcely ever been one of them. Therefore, while my thoughts remained a jumbled mess, my resentment towards my current situation was clear to me.

"Mmmhhmmllss..."

My state of disorientation was only furthered by what I assumed were people, who's nearby talking had replaced the whispers, since my ringing eardrums caused their voices to muddle into a chorus of meaningless babble.

"Whatever...appear...TOTALLY...believe...guys...waking up..."

My ears were starting to pick up words that actually sounded like _real_ words. Thus the ringing gradually left my ears, my brain solidified from the mush it had became, and my first coherent thought broke through.

 _Will those people shut up? I'm trying to sleep here!_ To anyone who knew me, such a thought could be considered expected since I was notorious for never being a morning person, and thus it made sense that my first thought was one expressing anger towards whoever ruined my precious slumber. It also made sense that once my perception of touch caught up with the current position of my body, my second thought was full of more confusion rather than irritation.

 _My bed is never this cold...or this solid... And I don't even remember going to bed... Answer? This isn't my bed._ Like any disoriented person who just came to a surprising conclusion, my mind shut down for a split second, and then suddenly jolted back to life. With adrenaline strengthening me, my eyes popped open as my body shot up into a sitting position.

"The heck-" I desperately cried out before my throat protested against the strain of shouting and cut me off. Yet I wanted to yell again when my blue eyes scanned the surrounding area in a frantic search of something familiar before my brain registered that not only was this room definitely not my bedroom, or remotely close to a dorm, but there were also three other people occupying the area with me.

 _Okay, I'm seeing double! A-And is that a bear?!_ I knew I wasn't feeling well, but the scene I took in was trippier than I expected.

 _Or are those twins? And that's just a teddy bear, right?!_ The small polar bear sitting on a nearby table batted it's very real eyes curiously at me.

 _...What. Is. Going. On?!_ I dismissed the strange observations as a side effect of my mental exhaustion. Thus I rushed to move on to the facts and soon concluded that the strangers had probably been the source of the voices I had heard, but my sudden jolt to awareness had seemingly caused the trio to become silent.

Or at least it was silent until the closest one shouted, "No need to worry, dude! Your hero is here to save you!" I barely refrained from letting out a mighty screech when the young man's voice boomed and shattered whatever ounce of inner calm I had left.

"A-Are you okay?" The other blue eyed man's hesitant question came immediately after the first man's boast. Yet it did nothing to appease my rapidly beating heart, the unsettling feeling that something was wrong, or the dizziness that nearly overcame me as I managed to stand up to my full height.

"No...this isn't right... Where am I?" I had the natural urge to back away from the three strangers in front of me, but my knees were barely holding me up, and I had no doubt that walking backwards would lead to my face and the carpet floor having an unfortunate physical interaction. Therefore, since I didn't want to end up flat on my face, I instead opted to twisting my body around to scan the room's occupants in wary confusion.

"Hey, dude, are you okay?!" The voice of the first man was still abnormally loud compared to the silence of the room, and it once again nearly startled me into flinching.

 _Do I know them?_ I tried to focus on the man, who actually did not appear to be much older than myself, but when I tried to concentrate on him, a sudden loss of equilibrium nearly floored me when my blue eyes met his bright blue ones.

"I-I'm-" I tried to get the words out, but dark spots were flooding my vision and another wave of exhaustion was coming in like a hurricane.

 _I'm going to faint, aren't I?_ I tried to blink the darkness away, but it continued to encroach on my vision.

"Lower your voice, you insolent fool! Can you not see she is disoriented?!" A British voice chided the first man before the owner of the accent turned to me. Then in a softer, polite tone he began to ask, "Miss, are you feeling well? Do you-" I did not hear his next words, however, as the ringing in my ears came back full force with a overwhelming wave of dizziness at its side.

I stumbled backwards a bit before the ringing was practically all I could hear and my vision became shrouded in a dark eclipse. Then I could just barely make out some muffled shouts and a vague picture of a pair of green eyes, along with two pairs of blue eyes, widening in shock before the man closest to me rushed towards my collapsing figure.

 _Please catch me. I'm too broke to...deal with another...hospital bill._ That was my final thought as the darkness clouded my entire sight, and consciousness eluded me once more.

* * *

"The hero is here!" America's booming voice filled the near empty meeting room. The sole occupant of the room, or at least the only person America noticed, being Britain. Quickly, said island nation's content expression morphed into an irritated scowl at America's approach.

"Lower your voice, America! There is no one here besides myself, so it unnecessary for you to announce your presence so loudly!" Britain scolded him without sparing a glance in America's direction while he lowered his briefcase besides his chair. Britain had hoped to have at least twenty more minutes of peace since he had arrived twenty-one minutes early, but contrary to the ordinary, America had arrived early too.

"But I wanted everyone to know how much awesomer I am since I beat them here!" America boasted as he moved towards a seat across from Britain.

"It's not a race, imbecile!" Britain tossed back.

"But it's always a race!" America replied with his typical laughter, the one that a certain Englishman found especially obnoxious. Thus an argument ensued, as was typical when the two were left in a room together.

"A-Actually I was the first one here, but Britain didn't even notice." Canada mumbled to himself from his seat, which was in a corner far away from the other two nations. Yet neither of the arguing nations heard his muttered words or even noticed he had been there all along, and while Canada was used to it, he still wished things could be different.

"Who are you?" The bear in Canada's lap questioned while looking up at his owner.

Thus Canada begrudgingly opened his mouth to reply. "You know who I am, Kumaj-" A deafening bang suddenly resonated throughout the room, ending all conversations and bringing forth a momentary, heavy silence.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Britain had released his hold on America, as he had previously been practically strangling the younger nation before the unexpected sound had startled both of them into a still silence.

"I thought only you and me were in the building." America stated, his voice temporarily lowered due to his own bewilderment over the abrupt sound.

"W-We are the only ones here, America." Canada agreed after he got over the near heart attack he had when such a loud sound came seemingly out of nowhere.

"Huh, another America?!"

"Canada bro, don't sneak up on me like that!" Both America and Britain were startled when they finally noticed the other nation in the room.

"I didn't sneak up on you guys. I've been here the whole-" Canada's words were drowned out as another odd sound filled the room, yet unlike the bang from earlier, it almost resembled the noise paper would make as it was being torn apart.

"I-It's coming from above us." Canada jumped to a standing position when another jarring noise filled the meeting room, and he unconsciously cradled his bear closer to his chest.

"If this were some sort of attack, it would be quite foolish to assault us when most of the Allies should not arrive here for-" Britain glanced at his watch, "Another fifteen minutes. It must be something else-"

"An attack!? Have no fear, dudes! The hero will protect you!" America raced out of the room before Britain could finish, and he was already heading up the staircase by the time Britain processed America's abrupt announcement.

"You wanker! Didn't you hear what I said?! This is _not_ an attack; it could be anything but an attack!" Britain's yelling trailed off into curses as he followed America's lead in the hope of stopping America from doing something reckless.

"Careless!" Britain muttered, seemingly more angered than concerned. He would never dare to admit that he was actually a bit worried about what America could find upstairs, even if it wasn't an attack, for something simply did not feel right about the entire scenario and Britain was determined to find out why.

"Wait! It could be dangerous!" Canada's shouts were the equivalent of loud whispers, so it was no surprise that neither America nor Britain heard his weak protest or waited for him to catch up.

* * *

Striding into the hallway, another thing Britain found he would never want to admit to was how running up five floors had actually left him a bit winded. It didn't help that he had lost sight of America, meaning he had been forced to go across all four floors before returning to the staircase to search the next one for his former colony.

"Where did that fool run off to?" Britain questioned, scowling as he glanced around the fifth floor's hall for the sight of blonde hair or an Air Force jacket. Though he gave a startled yelp when he heard another thundering sound rumble through the air, as if it was a reply to his question. "I must be nearing the source." Britain noted how the sound seemed to derive from merely a couple of yards away, and when he felt a slight tremor rattle the ground a second later, he knew he had finally arrived at the correct floor.

"Whatever could be the cause?" Britain wondered, walking forward briskly before the rumbling stumbled him. Yet he quickly regained balance, and then continued down the hall until he caught sight of an open door. Thus Britain halted in front of the doorway, certain the noise was coming from within the room.

Though he paused before entering when he noticed that America had beaten him there, and was already a few steps in. "Here you are!" Britain narrowed his eyes at the American, despite the fact he stood with his back facing Britain and obviously couldn't see the older nation's irritated expression.

"Didn't I tell you to wait for us?!" Britain questioned, his face red from his prior exertion and current annoyance. "It could be a trap or-" His brief tirade ended abruptly as he noticed the American had yet to acknowledge his presence by facing him. "Are you listening to me?!" His anger flared up again, but when he received no response beyond his own words echoing back at him, the rage faded.

"...America?" Britain's mouth morphed from a scowl into a frown, America's lack of a response confusing him, and perhaps even worrying him.

"What is the matter with y-" A stream of topaz blue light suddenly shot out from the room, startling Britain into silence. Then he had little time to do more than hurriedly look away from the room and shut his eyes on instinct before the blinding light engulfed his entire vision.

"Eh, a-are you alright, Britain?" Canada's whisper of a voice, filled with concern, sounded like it came from such a close proximity that Britain's eyes snapped open in surprise.

"When did you get here?" Britain stared at Canada in bewilderment before recalling the Canadian's question. "Of course I'm not fine! That damn light from the room nearly blinded me!" Britain asserted hotly, more ill-tempered than usual because his eyes still stung from the radiance of the light. Yet he stopped himself from saying anymore when he noticed that Canada's worried frown had deepened.

"But Britain, there was no light." Britain's eyebrows furrowed in disbelief, yet Canada went on. "W-When I got up here, both you and America were just standing in front of the room, and no matter what I did, you guys wouldn't move. I-It was like you guys were in a trance." Canada's words surprised Britain, but he had little time to reflect on their meaning before a shout interrupted him.

"HEY, THERE'S A GIRL HERE!"

Britain, trailed by Canada, strode further into the room to find an animated America inside. Though whatever had caused America to remain unresponsive before had obviously left him, as he now waved a pointed finger exuberantly towards a still figure on the ground, whom laid in the back of the room.

"What?!" Both Britain and Canada were surprised by the sudden existence of a young woman. Thus they both walked further into the room in order to take in as much of her appearance as they could. However, she was laying on her side so all they could see was her straight blonde hair, odd white jacket, and blue jean pants.

"H-How did s-she get here?" Canada questioned once he overcame his shock.

"Whatever the reason for her appearance," Britain began cautiously, uncertain how to take in the sight just yet. "She seems to be unconscious, possibly injured." Britain spoke his thoughts aloud when he noticed the only sign of life from the stranger was slight movement created by her light breathing.

"SHE'S HURT?!" America only seemed to realize this now, causing Canada to sweat drop. "THEN I, THE HERO, MUST TOTALLY HELP HER!" Until that moment, no one had made a move towards the woman. However, with sudden incentive, America took the first steps towards her.

Or at least America tried to, but then a hand gripped the back of his jacket collar and dragged him back.

"Hey! What was that for?!" America rounded on the Englishman in righteous fury.

Yet Britain glared back at him. "Are you daft?! We don't have any information on this woman! She's in an unauthorized area and could be a spy for all we-"

"I don't need know anything about her!" America claimed haughtily. "All I need to know is that this chick has to be rescued by none other than me, the hero!" America shot back and then returned his attention towards the woman.

"Well I can certainly think of much better saviors." Britain's challenge filled tone caused America to turn back. "In fact, I believe she would prefer to not be saved at all if she gets a sorry excuse for a 'hero' like you!" Britain spat the term "hero" out like it was a mockery, and America immediately took offence. Such words thus sparked an argument that soon enraptured both of the nations' full attention. Hence the woman and Canada had something in common right then, since both of them had been so easily forgotten by the bickering nations.

"Shouldn't we still help her?" Canada tried to bring the attention back to the matter at hand, but America and Britain were either ignoring Canada or too engrossed in besting each other to care.

"She doesn't look dangerous." Canada noted the young woman's build was in the average range and therefore not threatening. "Right, Kumajikari?" Canada asked the bear in his arms for reassurance as he cautiously made his way to the woman, and ignored the "Who are you?" which was the bear's only reply.

"Stay here." Canada told Kumajiro as he settled him on a table that was pushed up to the left side of the room, since he had realized he would need both his arms in order to move the girl or possibly carry her. Thus Canada was fully prepared to help this young woman until he saw her shift, as if attempting to arouse herself from a deep sleep, and he paused a few feet away from her.

"Hey, guys? I t-think she is waking up." Canada's words didn't make a difference to the bickering nations behind him, but the girl's sudden jerk up and short cry of surprise brought the entire room to a dead silence.

"The heck-" The young lady appeared bewildered while her gaze danced around the room. Though her eyes lost the film of disorientation when they locked on to the trio of nations.

"No need to worry, dude!" America strode up next to his brother. "Your hero is here to save you!" America boldly pronounced, startling the woman into a barely notable flinch.

"A-Are you okay?" Canada, more perceptive than his brother, noticed the stranger's dilemma and attempted to appease her in some way. However he was slightly surprised when she actually locked eyes with him, acknowledging his presence before she tried to push herself up to standing a position with not so graceful movements.

"No...this isn't right... Where am I?" The young lady spoke barely above a whisper and sounded out of breath.

"Hey, dude, are you okay?!" America's voice lowered just a fraction and confusion entered his tone when he received no reply to his announcement of heroics from the strange woman.

"I-I'm-" Her voice were soft and rough, as if the young lady was either tongue-tied or unsure of what to say.

"Lower your voice, you insolent fool! Can you not see she is disoriented?!" Britain had been examining the woman in wary, silent observation until America's lack of manners had annoyed him to the point that he couldn't refrain from speaking. His annoyance mainly deriving from how he was certain he had raised America better than that.

"Miss, are you feeling well?" Britain voice became warm and his expression pleasant while he tried to show America by example how to properly speak to a lady. "Do you-" His voice died off when the woman stumbled back and began a backwards descent towards the ground. All three nations were startled when that happened, however, America went into action first and caught the woman moments before her head could collide with the floor.

Then for a second, everyone was left speechless.

Yet silence never reigned for long among these nations.

"So, is anyone else wondering what just happened?" America was peering down at the stranger, with an odd expression of recognition on his face, before he slowly turned around with the crumpled woman in his arms. "'Cause besides me being an awesome hero and all, I'm a little lost." America stared at the other two countries, but he saw no answers in his companions' eyes.

And no one volunteered even an attempt at a theory.

* * *

The darkness was different this time. It felt lighter, like I could open my eyes and sit up without my body metaphorically smacking me upside the head and telling me to sit my sorry self back down.

 _Nothing aches, I just feel a bit tired._ My thoughts were fleeting, probably because my brain was only slightly clearer than the first time I had woken up. Hence, my muddled mental state caused me to uncharacteristically ignore my first instinct to formulate a plan before taking any action, and I instead opened my eyes without hesitation.

 _Huh?_ I had been prepard to do a vampire impression and essentially hiss at the sun, but no blinding light confronted me. In fact, the room was fairly dark with merely a dim lightbulb on the ceiling bathing the room in an orange glow. I blinked a couple of times to help my vision adjust to the low lighting, whilst granting my brain time to catch up with the situation as I slowly sat up.

 _Is this some sort of hospital?_ _Did I have a relapse or something?_ I wasn't too sure, but the bed I laid in was covered in white sheets and a matching sheet rested on the lower half of my body. Also, the white walls surrounding the bed reminded me of a stereotypical hospital room, which I had seen many times while watching _Law and Order (SVU mainly)._

 _This sure is a weird looking hospital. Maybe it's actually a clinic?_ I noted how sparse the room was, with a window covered in a thin blue curtain acting as the sole decoration for the wall on my left. Besides that, there was an old-fashioned lamp on the middle of a tan dresser next to the bed. Then a book shelf, which was overflowing with novels, sat on the left of the dresser. Yet beyond those pieces of furniture, only the bed I laid on could count as true decoration for the room.

 _Jeez, the decorector sure had some plain and simple tastes!_ I scanned the area once more, and frowned slightly as another possibility occurred to me.

 _It looks like somebody's home...but that makes less sense than this being a clinic._ However, the more I observed the room, the more I began to question why a hospital would have such personal items like an ancient lamp or a bookshelf filled with aging books.

 _And why hasn't a nurse came to visit me? Where's the heart monitor or TV?_ I soon lost myself to deep thought, the questions streaming into my head and my memory coming up with blanks. Thus my mind was working too furiously on the situation at hand to care that the only door to my room was slowly being opened.

"Eh?!" Only the fact that I had unconsciously noted the man's entrance prevented me from overacting to his sudden appearance in front of me, though my eyes still shot up to stare at him. "You're a-awake?!" The young man's soft manner of speaking also caught my interest, as it had an odd twinge to it, but I remained silent since his question sounded rhetorical. Instead, I couldn't help but stare at him for a moment.

And then keep staring.

 _Helloooo, nurse!_ If I were any other girl, I might of gave an appreciative whistle at the sight of a bright-eyed, golden hair _(looks so soft!)_ , and overall classy appearing man, but I somehow remained civilized.

"Yeah, I just woke up." I replied pleasantly, quickly realizing he wasn't going say more and not wanting to sit in awkward silence.

"Are you f-feeling alright?" The young man questioned in concern while scanning me over for injuries _(awww, he cares!)._ "Br-Arthur checked to make sure you weren't hurt, and he couldn't find anything wrong with you, but you wouldn't wake up." I barely took note of what he was saying, the mystery that was his accent distracting me despite how faint it was. Though more noteworthy was how he seemed genuinely worried about me, a stranger, and now waited patiently for my answer.

 _Goodness knows the world needs more gentleman like him... Wait, what about injuries?!_

"Was I in an accident?!" My sudden outburst, brought about from the fact my parents were going to kill me for worrying them so soon after my other mishap, must of startled him because the man jumped slightly.

Also, his stutter was more pronounced when he hesitantly replied. "N-Not really, b-but you were asleep when w-we found you." The Canadian man _(placed the accent)_ fidgeted nervously and stared at the ground, causing me to feel bad for scaring him. Therefore, I attempted to make up for my error by allowing a small smile to grace my lips before I spoke.

"Thank you for helping me." I started cheerfully, and the Canadian's head shot up to look at me in shock. "I'm not sure where I'd be without you." I continued sincerely.

 _Even though I'm not sure what you helped me with or what in the name of sushi is happening... But you're hot, so I'll let it slide._ I truly did appreciate his help, and I honestly wasn't sure where I would be without him considering my brain was practically on empty when it came to my immediate memories prior to this moment. Plus I was confident in my ability to defend myself if necessary. Though my lack of knowledge on the situation was worrisome.

 _I should probably figure out this mess-_

"Y-You do?!" The man's pretty blue eyes _(or are they violet?)_ were wide with disbelief, and forced me to refocus on the present.

Thus I rushed to nod and assure him. "Yeah, of course. You helped me, right?" I asked rhetorically, but the man muttered a quiet affirmative anyway. "Then I'm grateful." Oddly enough, the Canadian seemed startled that l was actually acknowledging his kindness. So startled that I almost wanted to offer him the hospital bed I was in, as he seemed to need it more than myself.

 _Maybe he even needs a hug. After all, he's pretty cute- Nope! I'm not going down that path anymore, this is serious! Focus girl!_ The drill sergeant in me finally managed to shove such thoughts away, as it simply wasn't the time for them.

"You're welcome." The Canadian had recomposed himself and now sent me a small smile, which fit his face perfectly and kind of turned me into kawaii! mush, but I hoped my genuine smile back didn't reflect such embarrassing feelings.

Abruptly though, the smile dropped from his face and he blinked rapidly like he had just realized something. "B-But I need to tell Arthur you're alright! He wanted to be told when you woke up!" The Canadian suddenly did an impression of the rabbit from _Alice in Wonderland_ by sending out a quick goodbye before hurrying out the room to presumingly find this Arthur person.

 _You know...he seemed kind of familiar._ Left alone with my thoughts again, I reflected on what just happened.

 _But I've never met a Canadian before, especially a straight up finneee Canadian!_ I quickly shook off those thoughts as I didn't even know that man, and physical aspects aside, I needed to figure out what was going on first.

 _Okay, May. What's the last thing you remember?_ I massaged my temple as if that would help me recall what I had been doing before I woke up here.

 _Um...I remember being at...at...the airport!_ I smiled in triumph while small snapshots of my memory started coming back.

 _And I-_ The door was suddenly tossed open so harshly that I swore the hinges groaned with protest as a bundle of energy flew into the room.

"YOU AWAKE, DUDE?!" The stranger's bellowed question startled me so much that I felt my hands instinctively curl into fists in preparation to defend myself. Yet I was given no time to act before the blue-eyed man strode over to my bedside and continued. "'CAUSE I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!" Since the American was practically hovering above me, it was easy to spot the physical similarities between him and the Canadian from before _(are they related?)._ Though the way he had burst into my room, without hesitation or warning, showed he had much more confidence _(and less manners)_ than the other man. Also, since the man was still running his mouth as I observed him, I easily figured he was way more of a talker than his possible relative.

"Um, yeah, I am." I eventually replied, though I wasn't sure he heard me since he droned on without acknowledging my statement. Yet I didn't blame him since my voice naturally quieted when I entered unfamiliar situations, and the series of questions he was bombarding me with probably swallowed up the sound of my voice.

"HEY, DUDE, CAN YOU HEAR ME!?" The man started to enthusiastically wave his hand in front of my face, likely because I was staring at him with a puzzled expression because I was still deciphering all the questions he had sent my way.

Yet I gave up trying to remember all he had asked in favor of replying. "Yeah, dude! I can hear you totally fine!" I raised my voice to ensure he heard me this time, lest he start running his mouth again.

 _His talks so loud that he puts the music at homecoming to shame, and I couldn't even hear my own thoughts when I passed by those speakers!_ I dismissed the memory when I suddenly noticed the American before me had paused, which I was under the impression was an unusual thing for him to do, and was now staring at me for a good long second.

"...Is this the part where I play the Jeopardy music or-"

"YOU'RE AMERICAN?!" He suddenly latched onto my shoulders and yanked me forward so our faces nearly collided. Thus I immediately tensed with my fisted hands ready to go flying, and yet I also felt a blush warm my cheeks at my close proximity to such a handsome face _(is everyone a model here?!)_. Though I doubted he could see it since my lightly tanned skin tended to hide my blushes.

 _Stop!_ I batted down my instinct to fight because despite the man's strange actions, he didn't seem to bear any ill will against me.

Therefore, I instead calmly stated, "Yes, I'm American." I then shrugged nonchalantly to emphasize how it wasn't that big of a deal considering we were in the U.S.

"REALLY?!" Clearly this man thought otherwise since he lit up like a Christmas tree at the words and released me in a flurry of movement. "TAKE THAT LIMEY!" He boasted while I covered my ears to muffle his voice. "JUST WAIT 'TILL I TELL HIM, HE IS GOING TO BE SOOO JEALOUS!" American dude _(I'll call him that for now)_ practically performed a brief happy dance, and I raised an eyebrow at the scene, before he seemed to remember I was still here. Thus he paused his miniature celebration to beam his gigawatt smile down towards me.

"Well, somebody's happy." I mentioned easily to him, confused by his excitement over my nationality.

"Of course! I felt you were one of mines, but I couldn't imagine an American wanting to travel to this lame country so I thought you'd turn out to be one of Britain's stiff chicks!" My eyebrows drew together in confusion over his sentence, yet he carried on. "But you really are one of my awesome American citizens!" American dude seemed ready to break into another happy dance, but I was still stuck on something he said and interrupted.

"Travel? But aren't we in America?!" I inquired, and it was the man's turn to send me a confused look.

"Actually, miss," A British man had abruptly appeared at the doorway, with Canadian guy _(I'm calling him that)_ lingering behind him. "We are currently in _Britain_." The Brit almost sounded offended by my belief that this was the U.S. As if he couldn't believe someone would dare to mix up the two countries.

 _Dude needs to chill his roll, it's not like I've seen what it looks like outside this room._ I quietly defended myself in my head, while American dude turned towards British bloke _(named him too)_ with a wide grin.

"YOU WERE WRONG, DUDE! THIS CHICK IS TOTALLY AN AMAZINGLY AWESOME AMERICAN!" American dude shouted and seemed to strike a hero pose with his fists on his sides and his chest puffed out.

 _Who's he supposed to be? E_ _agleman or something?_ I suddenly imagined American dude in a superhero costume, eagle-themed, and for some reason found it suited him perfectly in my head.

 _And when I start imaging things like that, I know I need some coffee._

"I can see that now, you twat!" British bloke angrily retorted, glaring at American dude before settling his gaze back on me.

 _Daaang, those eyebrows could use a trim!_ Though the man was certainly well-groomed, his green uniform spotless, his bushy eyebrow were definitely eye-catching. However, the sight of them triggered more than a feeling of awe in me.

 _It's familiar... He's familiar... In fact, all three of them are and that can't be a coincidence._

"Miss, are you feeling well?" The irritated tone he held with American dude had been replaced by a pleasant one as he walked up to the bedside and elbowed American dude away.

"Yeah, I'm feeling fine, but I would like to know what exactly happened to me." After I spoke, a kind of hush entered the room. Though the American didn't seem to notice, or perhaps he was still on happy mode from knowing that I was American. Regardless, British bloke now held a frown on his face and I could see a little less concern about my health and more wariness in his expression than before.

"Well, miss. That is what we wanted to ask you." British bloke was still abnormally polite, but his tone was more firm than before. Thus I opened my mouth to attempt a reply right when American dude retook his place by my side, knocking British bloke to the left and causing the Brit to comically swing his arms around to regain his balance.

"How dare you-"

"YEAH, DUDE," American dude chimed in, vibrating with excitement. "LIKE HOW COME YOU CAME OUT OF NOWHERE?! AND WHAT WAS THAT BLUE LIGHT-" The rest of his words were lost to me when suddenly the flood gates opened.

And I remembered everything.

"That blue light!" I shouted my thoughts aloud, and somehow even American dude heard me over his own obnoxiously loud voice.

"What do you remember?" British bloke rushed to question, his sharp gaze no longer glaring at the loud-mouthed American, but turned attentively towards me.

"Well...I remember I was at the airport." I began, so lost in the sudden return of my immediate memories that I barely noticed I had an audience.

 _I arrived earlier than necessary, but I hadn't been able help myself. My excitement for this trip had convinced me to start this day as soon as possible._

 _I've only been outside the country once and it totally doesn't count! The flight was twenty minutes tops and it wasn't even an American airline, but this...this is going to be real._ _I entered the line to check in for my flight, like my father had explained to me on the phone yesterday since he had more knowledge on airport procedure than I did._

"I was going to board a plane heading to England; for an internship that my college had set up. A small group of my classmates were leaving with me."

 _When I had arrived at the airport, I had the naive hope that everything would go perfectly. I was greatly unfamiliar with the airport though, considering the only one I had ever been in was a tiny building with low security. Fortunately, a couple of my fellow students had also arrived early, and those that had been to the airport before helped those that were floundering to get through the process._

"I got there early, but some of the other students did too. However, it wasn't time to board yet, so we all ended up sitting in the waiting area."

 _I sat stiffly in the cushioned chairs, close to the others, even though I didn't know any of them really well. Yet I was a nervous wreck in the inside, and I felt better being near people that understood how we were about to embark on such a long trip from home. Though I tried to distract myself from the way my heart was thumping rapidly by glancing down at my phone, only to see that we still had forty minutes before we could board the plane._

 _I need to calm myself, do something to pass the time._ _My eyes roved_ _around the airport for a moment, but they came to a stop on the familiar cafe sign._

"We were all pretty exhausted because it was so early in the morning, so I decided to get us some coffee."

 _"Hey, anyone want me to get them something from Starbucks?" Immediately the life lit back up in the eyes of the walking dead surrounding me, which was made up of sophmore college students whom had a dire need to go back to sleep. In fact, some hadn't heard me because they were already snoozing in their chairs._

 _Soon though, I took everyone's Starbucks card or cash, paid for their orders, and with a little juggling, I managed to bring back everyone's drinks with few spills._

 _Quickest way to make friends: Starbucks! I observed the less gloomy expressions on those that now had caffeine to fight off their fatigue, and noted a few appreciative smiles sent my way._

 _But is a friendship based on coffee real? ...Maybe I should start drinking my coffee too, I'm not thinking straight. I felt much better as I sipped on my scalding hot cappuccino, and I felt anxiousness leave me as I reclined back in my chair._

"I had just picked up the drinks and sat down when something weird happened."

 _The moment of peace was quickly extinguished when the air itself seemed to shift and I suddenly had a pit of nervous, closer to anxious, energy in my stomache. Thus I sat up in response and my back tensed. Yet as I glanced around, it soon became apparent that no one else felt any different, as many of my fellow students were still calmly tapping away at their phones or resting up._

"It was like I randomly caught the flu because the world started spinning."

 _I grabbed my luggage and dragged it with me, since I certainly didn't know any of the other students well enough to trust them with my personal items, and then I fast-walked towards the restrooms. Though I was certain I didn't walk in a perfectly straight line, as the world spun before my eyes and my movements felt sluggish while I struggled to focus on the restroom sign._

 _You're just a little sick, don't thrown up here and miss your flight. I tried to push on despite how the world was little more than a colorful vortex while my dizziness intensified._

"I thought it would subside soon, but it just got worse until I couldn't stand."

 _Rest before you pass out! I quickly reached a point where I needed support, and I barely felt my fingertips brush against a concrete wall before my knees hit pavement. No longer merely dizzy, I felt faint as I leaned on one of the walls that I figured was in the restroom_ _hallway, but I couldn't be sure when my senses had gone haywire and my sight was all but worthless._

 _Please don't tell me I caught a twenty-four hour flu... Not today...not today... I didn't think anyone was around while I leaned heavily on my suitcase and the wall, and therefore realized I had to help myself out_ _. Thus I shut my eyes because they were only making my confusion worse by overwhelming me with the view of a rabidly spinning world._

 _Can't see... Hearing is wrong too._ _I noted the way my ears were in similar condition as my eyes, being assaulted by what sounded like millions of voices, yet I couldn't latch onto a single one._

"Then there was this light, like a really bright blue that surrounded me as I fainted."

 _My eyes were closed, I must have passed out, and yet somehow I could see blue blue blue._

 _My favorite...shade. My thoughts weren't very coherent by then, and my sense of reality didn't improve when I abruptly felt as if I had been tipped backwards. Similar to a free fall from the top of a skyscraper towards the pavement below._

 _Except I was heading for an ocean._

 _A true, blue ocean with tides that went on and on and on. Yet there was no fear within me when I breached the waves and the water rushed over my head, merely a feeling of acceptance while a calming chime_ _reverberated_ _throughout my head._

"For a second, I thought I heard something or someone, but then there was just this thunderous noise."

 _Perhaps the chime was a voice, but if so, the words were distant and muddled beyond recognition; a kind mummer in a language beyond my understanding. Regardless, the voice was soon replaced by a harsh tearing sound, which resembled the noise lightning makes when it dances across the sky._

 _Yet none of these details felt important in the blue world I existed in, with the ocean welcoming me with open arms and the warm liquid sinking into me until we were joined as one._

"It wasn't scary or even uncomfortable, but it was all so confusing... Like a chaotic dream."

 _The melody of a voice came back briefly in that moment, whispering soothing words of reassurance as I neared the ocean's bottom._

 _And I believed the whispers, finding it to be a familiar comfort even as the ocean floor reached for me in an eager earnest._

 _But then it all faded abruptly, m_ _y body was retracted from the ocean floor, and I floated up to the heavens._

 _Soon everything I knew faded, the sky embraced me, the water lost its grasp, and_

 _my thoughts,_

 _emotion,_

 _memory,_

 _reality itself was lost._

 _And in the end, a blue blue sky was all I had left._

* * *

" **Time** and tide wait for no man." ~Geoffrey Chaucer

* * *

 **I hope you all enjoyed reading this, because I certainly enjoyed writing it!**

 **Next time, expect more character development, explanations, and some interesting interactions. Trust me, I've got big plans for this story, but it depends on how many people like it. S** **o show your appreciation through some reviews, favoriting, following, and etc.!**

 **Also, props to anyone who gets the Animaniacs reference (for all the 90's babies out there).**

 **Bye now! :)**


	2. Chapter 2: Understanding

**I want to thank all the lovely people who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story! You guys seriously rock my world and I appreciate you taking the time to show my story love! Thanks to your support, I have decided to update this fanfic in less than a week.** **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: "I" to the "d" to the "o" to the "not own this"! ...Word...**

 **Updated: 4/26/17**

* * *

 **Tide** (also known as **Wave** ): The alternate rising and falling of the ocean's surface

* * *

"Then...hmm..." My words started to drift after speaking about the unusual blue dream _(or was it real?)_ because my recollection of the next event was a lot choppier than my memory of the airport. I paused while my mind scrabbled to remember, and though I saw impatience flicker on the bloke's face, he thankfully remained silent as I did so.

 _After the blue...there were voices again..._

As the memory trickled back into my brain, I hesitantly bit out, "I woke up when I heard voices...and I saw you guys." I did a quick scan of the trio surrounding me and soon nodded to myself, certain it had been them I woke up to. "But I was still pretty dizzy, so I couldn't stay awake for long." I finished my tale and glanced at each of my listeners in an attempt to gauge what they thought about my dilemma.

 _Why am I under the impression these dudes are more lost than me?_ If my life were an anime, I was sure this would be the part where I would sweatdrop. It wasn't exactly confidence building to see the Canadian appear completely confused, the American look as jittery as a kid on a sugar high _(maybe he drank one too many Red Bulls?),_ and the Englishman maintain a closed-off expression. Though the crinkle in the Brit's forehead indicated he was seriously contemplating what I had said.

"Sooo, anyone got an explanation? 'Cause I don't recall ever boarding that plane, which means I should still be in the U.S." I asked after the silence became moderately uncomfortable.

"I don't know, but that sounds awesome!" The American's words busted out of him like a delayed explosion, causing the Canadian to flinch and the bloke to cover his ears. Though I didn't have the time to react before the dude shoved one of the oldest comics I had ever seen in my face.

 _Woah, this guy must be an avid comic geek to have such a rare copy!_ The comic was in mint-condition despite being so old, its age evident by the date stamped on its corner.

"Maybe you're from space like Superman!" I returned focus to the dude's face, who I could swear had stars in his eyes as he bombarded us with his theory. "And you have super powers and can shoot out lasers and fly and-"

"You and your childish ideas! That's ridiculous, Amer-"

"Hahaha!" My short puff of laughter interrupted his tirade, causing him to snap his mouth close and scowl in my direction. Yet I paid him no mind as I jokingly added. "Well I sure wish these super powers came earlier! I could of used it when I was running late for class, but nooo, it just had to wait for me to graduate from high school. Go figure." I smiled brightly.

 _It's been a while._ I hadn't joked around in what felt like weeks, probably because I hadn't seen my friends for a while since they were all preoccupied with their jobs or college studies _(ugh, adulting)_. Yet something about the way this American suggested his idea, with such genuine enthusiasm, was amusing in an infectious way.

"Totally!" American dude laughed jovially at my response, and strangely enough, his particular laugh held a familiar ring to it.

"Shut up, you fool!" British bloke ended my pondering as he rounded on the American. "We need to address the problem at hand!" The bloke looked prepared to rant on, but the dude pulled himself together surprisingly quick.

"But we have solved the problem." The Brit blinked, not expecting the serious tone that came from the American. "She has super powers!" And the scowl returned to his face when American dude fell into another bout of laughter.

"Not that issue!" British bloke shouted over his laughter. "Her story's!" I frowned, not liking how my honest explanation had been deemed a mere story. "It doesn't make sense!"

"What doesn't make sense?" I asked him, causing his harsh gaze to return to me.

Quickly his angry expression smoothed out into a more neutral one, though his eyes remained narrowed as he stared at me. "You said you were heading to England?" He pulled his hands behind his back and stood up straighter, eerily reminding me of an officer preparing an interrogation _(low lighting doesn't help)_ , and causing me to tense instinctively.

"Yeah?" I wondered why my destination mattered.

"For an internship?" British bloke scoffed, and my back straightened like a taunt wire.

"Yesss?" I hissed out my reply while giving him an "Are you deaf?" look, his insinuations annoying me.

Britain frowned at my tone before a smirk came upon his face. "Now why would anyone head to England when we're in the middle of a war?" I blinked at that information, tension leaving me as I was left in shock. "There shouldn't even be civilian planes allowed here, and there certainly aren't many jobs left for women right now, except perhaps nursing." He concluded, his nearly glaring, suspicious eyes focused on me.

 _W-What?!_ There was a whole lot I wanted to address about his statement, but one stood out above them all.

"What do you mean _war_?" My forehead crinkled in confusion while I raked my brain for any recent news I had heard about England. "There's no serious war happening in England." I asserted, and the room immediately grew silent after my declaration. Soon I noticed all three of the room's occupants were troubled by my words, the smugness even dropping from the Englishman's face to leave an expression of bafflement.

"Y-Yes, there is. Haven't you heard?" The Canadian guy finally spoke up, causing the other two to jump, but I wasn't startled because I had noticed him outside my peripheral vision for a while now.

"Obviously not," I replied cautiously, wondering what drugs these insane men were on since they had to be on something to believe such a thing. "And if it's as serious as you're saying, I would know about it." I spoke with full certainty.

"Sure there's a war, dude!" My certainty faded a bit when my fellow American didn't take my side. "Which is why you should of stayed in the U.S! Our army is waaay stronger than the limey's wimps!" An indignant sound came from the bloke, but the dude went on. "Germany knows not to mess with my awesome army!" He boasted proudly, and suddenly I thought of something impossible.

 _No...no way._ I dismissed the absolutely insane idea that I had formed on instinct after hearing "Germany" and "war" with "U.S.", but I couldn't disregard it entirely.

 _Germany hasn't been an enemy of the U.S. or England since...but..._ I struggled to think of an alternative, but found myself with none.

 _I...I can ask, but they're totally gonna make fun of me._ I was sure they would tell me I was wrong, crazy, stupid.

Anything but right.

"This war you're talking about..." I heard a strain in my voice so cleared it before continuing. "You wouldn't happen to be speaking about the second World War, would you?" I fought to keep my heart beat steady as I addressed the Englishman, and his miffed expression from the American's jab at his military ebbed when he turned to me.

"Yes, miss, we are." He spoke smoothly, and I could see no lie from his face; just the honest, blunt, and impossible truth.

"That's insane!" Everyone looked startled by my outburst, but I couldn't help it. The sheer ludicrousness of his words had destroyed what fragile calm I had. "There's no way! You...you must be insane, that war ended like fifty years before I was born!" I announced vigorously, in a slight panic and thus breathing heavily. Yet nobody instantly responded, either because they weren't expecting the quiet girl before them to suddenly shout or it was something I said.

"M-Maybe she is injured." The Canadian muttered, as if fearful to break the silence, and he seemed to regret it when I sent him a piercing glare.

I held an indignant response on the tip of my tongue, however, when I saw the disturbed looks the other two were giving me, I forced myself to calm. I didn't want to incriminate myself by shouting like a madwoman, so I released my frustration with a harsh sigh before stating, "I'm not crazy." I held a straight face and even tone.

"I can prove it, just give me-" I suddenly realized I had no idea where my stuff had gone, and glanced around the room before asking, "Where's my luggage? Didn't it fall with me?" To my dismay though, I noticed the trio still eyed me like I had lost my mind.

"It's under the bed." The bloke regained sense first, but was still wary if his tone was anything to go by. "Miss, are you sure that-" I ignored him as I leaned over the bed, lugged out my dark blue suitcase, and opened the front pocket to pull out my passport.

"I'm not sure what type of sick, elaborate joke you were trying to pull, but it's over." I announced with a scowl, irritated that I had fallen so easily for what had to be a prank. I lifted up my passport to the page with the date that I received it and all three leaned in to read it. "Now who put you up to this? Was it Dina?" I recalled my friend was in college studying virtual reality gaming, so that would explain how she tricked me into believing I'd went to the airport and fallen into some portal.

 _But there aren't any glasses on my face... and Dina wouldn't make me miss my flight. She knew this was important._ I brushed off the thought, and waited eagerly for the trio to realize their game was over and it was time to tell me what was going on.

"WHAT?!" I jumped at the sudden outcry from the Brit, who snapped his head up to stare at me like I'd committed murder.

"2015?!"

"YOU'RE FROM THE FUTURE!?" The American immediately grabbed onto my shoulders, and before I could think, started shaking me enthusiastically. "THIS IS SO AWESOME! WHAT AM I LIKE THERE?! HOW DOES-" I could hardly hear him as I felt my brain repeatedly slamming against my skull. Then I briefly wondered if death by shaking was possible for young adults like myself and how stupid that would look written on my gravestone right before my savior spoke up.

"That is preposterous!" The bloke announced, and the American paused to look at him in confusion, probably because he couldn't understand why his companion wasn't excited like him _(what an oblivious dude)_. Thankfully, his interruption allowed me to lean away from his grip. "It-It's 1941!" British bloke seemed to be in shock, and I was kind of in the same boat as him the second my eyes stopped spinning.

 _That...that can't be! That would mean it's- No, he must be trying to trick me again!_ I scowled, disturbed that I had been deceived a second time, but I comforted myself with the knowledge that I had just woken up so my mind was hazy. Plus they all had to be great actors to make their surprise look so real in the fact of my passport.

"Not it's not!" My fists clenched. "Stop messing around with me, this isn't funny!" I shouted at the Brit, who stared at me in almost pity. In fact, the other two also were starting to look at me that way. I hated that look, and my injured pride fueled the embers already sizzling within me.

"Fine!" I crossed my arms. "Prove it and I'll believe this isn't some prank." I asserted, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

The Brit scoffed. "Why should we prove anything? You claim to have fallen down some sort of rabbit hole," The man smiled oddly to himself at the reference to Alice in Wonderland, almost like it were a personal joke. "And woke up with a brief amnesia, yet you still need proof something is clearly amiss? Are you daft?" He practically taunted, and I was torn between the desire to mangle his immaculate appearance and the urge to cry out from the frustration of not knowing what was happening now.

However both thoughts bled out of me when a strong hand started patting me on the back. "Don't worry, dude!" I looked up at the American in amazement as he beamed down a radiant smile. "I'll show you!" I felt myself immediately calm as he started to rub circles on my back. Despite hardly knowing this dude, I didn't have any desire to move away. In fact, it all felt natural and just one look at him compelled me to feel content _(is he some sort of hypnotist?)_.

"You stupid git!" The Brit shouted when America guided me up and towards the lone window in the room. Yet the dude ignored him and the Canadian stepped out of the way as we shuffled pass him.

"Ta-da!" The man threw open the window and I stared out into the dark, dreary place. It was clearly late noon, the sky dark as rain pelted the many houses outside. "See! Look at all of Britain's boring architecture and sucky weather!" He went on, and the Brit might of made an offended noise but I was too caught up in leaning outside.

 _It looks like the museum._ There was a large room in the history section that was a remake of my city way back in the day. I wanted to claim this was also just some huge room for reenactments, but as I felt the rain splatter on my head and I spotted moving cars on the street (models from a long ago time), I knew it wasn't some stage.

 _I must be dreaming..._ I knew I wasn't though as I pulled back into the room, and ignored trio of men squabbling over my passport as I seated myself on the edge of the bed.

"But it's August 28, 2015." My response was weak, filled with uncertainty. "I got that passport just a month ago in July." Yet I could see the truth unfolding before my eyes, explaining everything from the old decorum in the room to their clothing that I suddenly noticed was not just any uniform.

But army.

Airforce.

Battle.

War uniform.

Yet I denied the facts, overwhelmed by what they implied.

 _I'm delusional! It's not the '40s, and it hasn't been the 1900s for years! This is-_ I couldn't find the words to label what any of this mess was.

Except for the one word I didn't want to admit.

 _True... You know it's true._ My mind was still screaming and ranting about how impossible the situation was, but I could feel my heart start to give in to the undeniable facts.

"I-It looks odd, but not fake." My mind returned to the present just in time to see Canadian guy back away from my passport, clearly disturbed. I also noticed the passport was being thoroughly examined by British bloke, who scrutinized it warily. Apparently he still doubted it's authenticity, which meant he continued to doubted my honesty _(trust issues, much?)_.

"HELL YEAH, IT'S REAL!" American dude snatched it away from the bloke, ignoring how the man had been in the middle of examining it with a magnifying glass. "LOOK AT MY FLAG!" American dude admired the American flag that lined the multiple pages, and I thought I once again saw literal stars in his eyes.

 _I definitely need coffee._ I shook my head to clear what I had to have imagined.

"Shut it, you dunce!" The Brit snatched it back and began holding the glass over it again, and I frowned in annoyance. "We still haven't proved it isn't forged-"

"Why, Mr. Holmes," Abruptly, everyone looked at me in surprise, probably not expecting my perfect mimicry of a British accent. Though I ignored the others and stared straight at the Englishman, who was the target of my anger, and continued in overly snobbish tone. "If your quite done needlessly questioning my honesty." I switched back to my natural American accent, and raised an open hand with an expectant expression. "I would like to figure out what's going on." The Brit looked annoyed by my mimicry, but reluctantly lowered my passport into my waiting palm.

"I still don't believe-"

"Anyway," I interrupted, addressing the Canadian and American instead. "From what I can tell, whatever transported me here..." I trailed off, steeling myself to the insane truth. "Also took me back seventy-four years into the past." I admitted softly, and British bloke stopped glaring at me in favor of gaining a quizzical expression.

"But how did I get here?" I looked down, speaking more to myself now. "And how do I get back?" I continued in quiet contemplation, probably with a thoughtful look on my face.

"You want to leave?!" My head shot up to see American dude staring at me surprise, and some dismay.

 _Dang straight! The war life ain't for me!_ The immediate response rang through my head, though I oddly enough felt a smidgen guilty. For some reason, seeing the disappointment in the American's eyes made me want to do anything to cheer him up. Almost like I was obligated to please him.

"No offense," I tried to amend. "But considering this is the _worst_ war in human history, yeah, I want to go home as soon as possible." However, this only seemed to put American dude down even more.

 _Jeez, I'm awful! ...But why do I care so much?_ I considered myself a generally nice person, but it was still odd how I felt such concern about some guy I didn't know.

 _Or do I?_ The feeling of familiarity returned and I sent a more searching gaze to this American.

"I see, miss. You would know this well, this _war_ well, assuming you really are from the future." His insinuation still irked me, but I appreciated that British bloke seemed to agree with me, as he nodded his head in my direction. Unlike American dude who seemed to deflate on himself. "And shall accept your judgement." I frowned at how politely he spoke to me, wondering where his earlier curtness had gone.

"If you managed to get here, there must be a pathway that can get you back." British bloke muttered something about possibly having books on this topic before he left without another word, most likely to retrieve said books.

"I-I'll help him look." Canadian guy mumbled barely above a whisper before setting off behind British bloke. Then it was just I and a still sulking American left in the room.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked to bring the man out of his slump, still feeling obligated to cheer him up, and he looked up at me with a slightly more serious expression than the one he held before.

"Don't you trust your country?" I jerked back at the unexpected question, which combined with his sudden change in mood, had starled me. "To protect you? To be the hero?" American dude seemed worried that I didn't have faith in my country, and I could understand that he would take that stuff to heart.

 _I don't want to believe it, but if I can accept time travel..._ I brushed away the thought, trying to focus.

"Of course I do, but we're not in my country right now. Like we agreed, England's practically a war zone and not a safe place right now, so I'm feeling a tad insecure here. That's all there is to it." I reassured him. Then he stared at me for a while, to see if I was being honest, before finding the truth in my words and smiling again.

"Of course you do! You are the citizen of the best country in the world!" American dude announced proudly, his hands landing on his sides as he struck a heroic pose.

 _A bit egotistical...America._ I had been slow to realize it, at first due to my memory issues, and after my brain cleared, it was because of my strong disbelief in dimension or world travel.

 _But I've accepted time travel and clearly I am not having a normal day or I'd still be in the airport... So why not a little alternate dimension hopping with a side of time travel? ...Only my luck._ Also, dimensional travel would explain a lot.

 _Hetalia...an anime of all places..._ I recognized all these people from Hetalia. I wanted to deny it, as logic told me to, but all the signs were here. The way this man automatically liked me, his signature laugh, familiar appearance, and my desire not to disappoint this man.

This nation.

My nation.

 _Then again, maybe I'm just crazy...or hallucinating... Perhaps my Starbucks' drink was drugged._ Regardless, there was one way to prove my theory even if I was dreaming.

"Just one more thing." I began, causing America to pause with one hand on the door. I think he had already rambled off a goodbye but I had been so lost in thought I hadn't really took note until I saw him turn around.

"You guys never introduced yourselves." I decided being vague was the best way to start. America laughed nervously, out of embarrassment, once he realized what I said was true. "But that's okay," I held up a hand to stop America from introducing himself, "because I think I already know."

 _Here it goes._

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's Alfred F. Jones, right?" I questioned hesitantly, and he looked rightly surprised by my knowledge.

"YOU KNOW MY NAME?!" The genuineness of his surprise was undeniable.

 _He really is- I'm actually in an..._ I couldn't afford to dwaddle in denial so I hurried on.

"Yes, your name and the names of the other two as well." I barely managed a calm tone when my head was buzzing wildly with all this info. "Before you leave, I just wanted to tell you that maybe your earlier theory had some truth to it." I announced, hoping I was making the right decision.

 _It depends on one's definition of alien._

"Huh?!" America looked rightly surprise at my admittance, and I braced for the expected backlash.

"YOU'RE A SUPERHERO FROM SPACE?!" Only for stars to appear in his eyes ( _real ones?!),_ and excitement to fill the air.

"Huh?" Momentarily, I held a dumbfounded look, but I quickly realized he had misunderstood me. Then I rushed to say. "No, as awesome as that would be, no."

"Oh... Then what do ya mean?" America calmed and now looked slightly disappointed, his normal pupils returning from stars.

I sighed, and after calming my nerves, continued. "I believe that while I am from a planet called Earth, I come from an alternate version of this Earth. Considering the fact that where I come from there are no human personifications of nations..." America stilled, nearly tensed at my words, but I forced myself to say it outright.

"So... do you prefer Alfred or America?" I asked, as I planted my feet on the ground and stood up from the bed to face my country. America, for his part, didn't look jaw slacked at my words, but he certainly wasn't moving and that was a little concerning.

 _Is he cool? Or did I break him?_ I hoped it wasn't too much of a shock, but America wasn't giving me much of a response. Instead, he stared at me with dinner plate sized eyes for a while, which became unnerving once it lasted for more than a few seconds. It was comical in a sense, but worrying since I knew it was atypical for him to be so motionless.

"Um, America-"

"YOU KNOW?! I haven't had a normal person know about me for a such a long time! Dude, this is awesome!" America sounded excited, strangely enough. Even stranger, America gave me no time to react before he pulled me towards him, and reminded me of how he seriously had no understanding of personal space or self control.

 _Is he hugging me?! Can't...breathe..._ America was one of my favorite characters from Hetalia, but death by hug would look kind of lame on my grave.

"Ok, that's great, but I can't really breathe." I gasped out quickly, and he immediately placed me back down since his bear hug had lifted me off the floor.

"HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT US? WHAT'S YOUR WORLD LIKE? WHAT'S THE FUTURE LIKE? AM I STILL-"

"America, chill bro! I'm sure you got some questions, but I prefer to explain once everyone is here." I firmly told him, and America looked at me like a toddler that had been denied his dessert.

 _Aw, he's so adorable._ Unfortunately, I had always had a bleeding heart for cute things, America was one of those things, and he was killing me with his hurt puppy look.

 _Seriously, does his nation status automatically cause Americans to want to please him?_

"Well, I guess I can answer your questions first, but only after everyone is here." I explained in determination, crossing my arms.

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's find them!" America announced as he grabbed my hand in his excitement and then dragged us both through the door.

 _Why does my country have to be so hyperactive?_ I could barely keep up, considering he had longer legs than my female height had granted me.

* * *

 _Please be in this room. Please... be... in... this... room!_ Physically, I was in better shape than a lot of people, considering how often I went through physical exercises on a daily basis, but even I could not keep up with super human speed. America had alerted me to the fact that we were currently in Britain's house, which the nations had taken me to since they wanted to make sure I was alright while also maintaining privacy, considering how strange my entrance into this world had been.

"Come on, dude, we're almost there!" America had thankfully stopped dragging me along after he practically took me on a tour of the entire house. It didn't help that this place was huge like a miniature mansion. The hallways we walked through, or ran in America's case, were broad with tall ceilings that made even America appear dwarfed. From the few glimpses of decor I saw as America rushed us through room after room, there were a couple of paintings lining the walls, but little of anything else. The entire house, which I was dragged through none too graciously, was sparse all over.

 _Britain never seemed like the extravagant type._ The thought had just crossed my mind when I realized I could hear voices up ahead.

I wasn't the only one who heard either as America suddenly sent me a triumphant smile and announced, "Finally we found him!" America picked up the pace, which to me was the equivalent of running like a track star in a marathon as he dragged me along, but it probably was more like speed walking to him. Very soon, I found myself leaving the dimly lit hallways and entering a well lit room that was the origin of the voices.

"Get out my house, you bloody twat!" Britain screeched at the intruder in his house, one I knew he found particularly annoying.

"Why monsieur, are you not glad to see me?"

 _I jinxed myself, didn't I? I wonder if this is good or bad._ I thought idly, once I recognized the country of love himself had arrived here as well.

"France, dude, when did you get in?!" America seemed confused at France's appearance, but nowhere near as aggravated as Britain was. Said Brit was turning red as the Frenchman ignored his yelling and drew closer to him. However, France turned towards America when he spoke up, while ignoring the rant and curses Britain was throwing his way.

"Why I just let myself in a few moments ago! No mere lock can keep Big Brother France away!" France's voice was heavily accented with a stereotypical Frenchman voice, and even his laugh resembled what an American would sound like if they were trying to poke fun at French accents. I also noticed that every syllable he spoke was punctuated with passion and emphasize, and his entire voice screamed something sensual.

 _I'm not sure if his voice is creeper status or kind of smexy._ I doubt he noticed me with both America and Britain taking up his attention, so I nonchalantly walked off to the side where I noticed Canada was quietly standing by.

"Shouldn't you be at the meeting, frog face?!" Britain tossed angrily, while forcefully pushing away France who had practically gotten in his face as they continued to argue.

"I was there, but then I found that letter you left, and decided you might want me to drop by." France smirked as Britain stopped moving, and he seemed to realize the logic in France's words.

"What note?" I questioned softly to Canada, only to have him half jump as I addressed him.

 _Poor guy probably isn't used to be noticed; I can relate._ Back in high school, I was never one to really stand out of the crowd, which had its advantages, but sometimes it hurt to know how little people noticed you.

"Before we left to take you to Britain's house, we left a note so that the others would know why we weren't there." Canada kindly explained and I made a soft sound of agreement to show him I heard him, while we continued to watch the display before us.

"Now what could have preoccupied my mon ami so much that he would be late to a meeting that was supposed to be run by him?" France jeered lightly, and America, who had been laughing loudly in the background started to stop and calm himself down.

"That's none of your bus-"

"Oh, yeah! That's what I came in here for!" America interrupted Britain's rant as he turned back to me, and probably didn't even notice Canada beside myself.

"We wanted to let you know something else we figured out!" With America's announcement, the two nations turned towards me. Britain didn't seem too surprised to see me, maybe a little suspicious though, and France had a totally different reaction. France's blue eyes widened out of surprise for a moment, before I swear, he literally had pink, sparkling hearts and roses appear behind him.

 _That's just freaky. Yup, no other words can be said for what I have just seen. That. Ain't. Right._ I was still trying to tell myself there really were floating sparkles behind France, so I barely noticed how he gave me a quick once over before smoothly making his way over to me.

"I can see how any man with working eyes could be preoccupied with a sculpture body such as this!" France was in front of me in a flash and he quickly got on one knee before taking my hand and kissing it.

 _Lord help me, I've got a perverted Frenchman doting on me... Then again, it could be worse._ France suddenly stood back up, and unfortunately he kind of towered over me, despite the fact that I wasn't short. I was fully aware I could knock his block off if I wanted to, regardless of height difference, but I just didn't like it when people loomed over me. It's a personal issue.

"I had no idea you had it in you to capture such an exotic beauty, perhaps Big Brother's lessons did stay with you after all!" France spoke almost as if he was proud of his "little brother" Britain. While speaking, he had swiftly risen and before I could get my bearings, he had spun me around in his arms until we were uncomfortably close and almost in a straddling position.

"What are you implying?! I am perfectly capable of getting along with a lady without your so called lessons!" Britain fumed, with his cheeks tinted an angry red.

 _Well, we're off topic now and I'm five seconds away from snapping if this man doesn't keep his hands to himself._ If I hadn't been in so much shock, I probably would of socked France in the face the second he spun me but clearly I was having an off day.

"Just admit it! You appreciate all the lessons I gave you!" France, loosened his hold on me as he redirected his attention towards Britain.

"Lessons?! You consider attempting to harass me as lessons?" Britain yelled back, and I used the distraction of his yelling to get France's body off of me by slipping my body through and under his arms, and then side stepping a few feet away. It was actually a little hard, considering his grip on me, but manageable.

"So are you guys done or are we going to do this all day? 'Cause I find it kind of strange that it seems like I'm the only adult in the room when you're all like a thousand times my age." I announced with an undertone of irritation, before realizing what I had implied.

"Y-you know?" Canada's shocked whisper spoke for all the surprised faces of those around me. Only America seemed unperturbed by my words.

"Yeah dudes, that's what we wanted to tell you! Also, she's from-"

"America, I told you to wait for everyone to be here before we explained." I quickly cut in.

"Tell us what? I thought you were only from the future!" Britain looked a million times more suspicious as he set his narrowed eyes on me. Though France just appeared genuinely confused.

"Future?" France murmured, before mumbling some French words to represent his surprise.

 _Okay, this is getting out of control. Now pretty much everyone's confused, heck, I'm confused myself! ...Oh, forget this, I'm just going to tell everyone now and let them pass this information on to whichever country they want._ I had wanted to wait for all the Allies to be present before explaining, but like most of my plans, people always found a way to somehow change them.

"Okay, clearly we're all lacking a bit of information here. So let's start from the beginning so we can _all_ get the details we need." I spoke as calmly as I could with my frazzled nerves, which was pretty dang calm in my opinion. I was always such a great actor, and thankfully my words caused everybody to get themselves quiet and in control as I became the center of attention and reason.

"Alright, since France wasn't there, someone please explain how I got here." I saw France from the corner of my eye still staring at me with shock. He was probably still getting over the fact that a human knew about human personifications of nations. I didn't blame him; I doubted it was a common occurrence in this Hetalia dimension.

"Ooh, I can tell the story! So I was like the first one to arrive at the meeting and then this weird BOOM came out of nowhere! So I courageously found what was making the the noise so I could protect the Allies from an attack-"

"You fool, there was no attack!"

I looked at America with something akin to admiration as he stepped up and explained my situation. While his story was a little inaccurate and maybe egotistical, I appreciated the fact that somebody would explain so exuberantly despite the almost tense mood that had settled over the room.

 _It's probably more that America ain't exactly known for sensing the mood of a situation than him trying to help me, but that's not important._ I wondered if I had an anime sweat drop appear on me as America reiterated my entrance into this dimension-reality-world situation in a very creative way, and I had to hold back some laughs when Britain decided to interrupt America with side comments about the inaccuracies in America's retelling. However, I was also constantly aware of Canada's soft gaze of wonder lingering on me and how Britain shot me wary looks, full of distrust, whenever I didn't seem to be looking in his direction.

Unfortunately, I was all too aware that I didn't belong.

* * *

"So, you are from the future?" France questioned, still struggling with the concept.

"So it seems." I replied casually.

"However, that is not the end of the story, is it?" Britain spoke up, his eyes narrowed with distrust as he approached me.

"No, it isn't." I replied, thinking of my next words carefully before reaching a decision.

"As I," America stood taller beside me as if he was reminding me of his heroic part in finding Britain, " _and_ America wanted to tell you, I believe that I am not only from the future, but an entirely different world or dimension as some might say. The reason I think that is because where I come from, there are no personified nations, and the only place where those nations exist are not in my dimension or world, but this one, as you guys already know." I explained softly, with little emotion entering my tone.

 _Might as well get this over with._

"Even if that is true, how do you know about us?!" Britain was obviously still suspicious, but probably more confused than anything.

"Because she is an awesome citizen of mine! Isn't it obvious?!" America interjected before I could form a response, even giving me a friendly pat on the back.

 _Don't stumble, don't stumble, don't you stumble, dang it!_ I ordered myself when the strong force of America's hand made me wobble.

 _He's probably never learned to hold back._

"That's not a reason, stupid-" I could sense the argument underway, and I was not about to wait for that to settle, so I quickly cut in .

"My world is like the future," Britain stopped talking and even America stopped his laughing as I began, "of your Earth and we kind of have technology that allows us to see into your world... It was invented by some Japanese guy, a few years ago. It's hard to explain, but you guys' existence is common knowledge to quite a few people in my world. Though we never actually knew you existed as real living people, but I guess me being here proves your world and you guys actually exist."

Everything I said was all true, from a certain perspective.

 _Can't help the Star Wars reference._

"You cannot explain further than that?" Britain seriously wasn't letting up, so I figured I could give a little more details if only to appease him.

"Well, would you be able to explain how a radio exists to people from the early 1800s?" I questioned Britain, feeling some impatience break through my calm. Immediately he clammed up, and seemed to scramble for a reply, not that I gave him much of a chance to supply one.

"W-well-"

"How could you? There was nothing back then remotely similar to the radio. It would be like explaining emotions to one who had none or color to the blind. There's nothing in this time period I could compare the technology to, which as you can imagine, makes explaining things a bit hard." I spoke directly to Britain, and felt some relief as he quieted for a second and the suspicion in his eyes lessened.

"So you're from the future and another version of this world... But how?" Canada summed up the issue at hand, having been quiet throughout most of the discussion. Now he had adopted a thoughtful look, instead of his usual timid expression.

"That's what I want to know, which is why I came to tell you about the other world thing, just in case it was important in finding a way back home for me." I had turned back to Britain as I addressed him.

"It certainly changes what books I'm going to look through." Britain muttered offhandedly, turning to the nearest bookshelf in the room.

"That also explains your exotic clothing, mademoiselle." I had almost forgotten about France, who has been oddly silent since he had heard about my strange appearance into this world.

"Exotic?" I questioned, looking down at myself. I wore a black long sleeve that had slightly see through stripes on it. The stripes began under my chest and were covered in black threads like a web or as if the shirt had been torn where the stripes were. I also wore a white jean sweater with short sleeves on top of my black shirt, and like a crop top, the jacket only went down mid torso. Looking down further, I was wearing dark blue skinny jeans and short black boots that had silver chains on their sides. The shoes were wedges to give me an extra inch or so. The only jewelry I wore was a short silver necklace with a light blue crystal attached.

 _Wow, I'm going to stand out really badly!_ I mentally cringed.

"I can imagine my clothing looks pretty odd in this time period." I muttered after noting my full appearance.

"More like awesome! Especially your freaky hair!" America interjected, pointing at the front part of my hair. I snatched one of the loose curled strands in front my hair to examine how it appeared in this anime world.

"Yes, it is most peculiar. Are the people of your world born with such odd colored hair?" Britain had turned back to us, and seemed to be examining my hair with an air of curiosity.

 _Yup, it was a bad idea to get my hair done a week ago. I'm going to stick out like a sore thumb for reals._ My hair had loose curls in the front, to frame my face and the top of my hair. Said curls were dyed dark purple fading to a bright oceanic blue. Everything behind the loose curls was straightened, rich wheat blonde hair. The purple-blue curls in front only went a little past my shoulders, but the blonde hair in the back went down for a few more inches, so my hair was pretty long, but definitely not too long.

"Ha! No one is born with hair this color, it's all just hair dye. It's just something people of the future do sometimes. Personally, I thought some color would look nice on me." I muttered the last part. Ever since I started college, I had wanted a fresh start and I thought a new hair style would do the trick. I had always wanted to try hair dye, and personally, I thought it looked nice with my lightly tan complexion.

"It suits you well, my dear! Especially your clothing." I would have taken it as a complement from France, if I didn't notice that he was blatantly eye sexing me, with his eyes lingering on a certain area of my shirt.

 _I'd been rich before I was twenty if I got a dime for every time a man's done this to me._ It was not my fault that I was slightly bigger than some women in the chest. They weren't that noticeably, in my opinion, but the shirt I was wearing was kind of tighter than what I usually wore.

 _Aaannd this is why I wore sweatshirts for most of high school._ Regardless of the reason, I certainly did not want to know what France was imagining as his eyes roved my body in such a way, so I snapped my fingers in front of his face.

"Hey, french fries! Eyes are on my face, not my chest, so you might want to turn your head up a little because it seems like your looking in the wrong place." I chided boldly, with my hands on my hips.

 _I'mmm on tonight, and my hips don't lie- and I need to refocus. I'm such a scatterbrain without my caffeine._ Fortunately, my facial expression, as usual, revealed nothing about my weird thoughts. In fact, France paused in his staring and even had the decency to look thoroughly scolded. Calling France out on his pervert tendencies caused America to burst into loud laughter, Canada seemed a little red from embarrassment for France's sake _(the little cutie)_ and Britain none too discretely muttered that there were no gentlemen in France. This caused an immediate reaction between him and France, which basically means they decided to argue over trivial matters.

 _At least I no longer feel as if I am being creep-ed on._ I allowed myself to fade in the background along with Canada. We both then watched the common spectacle of Britain and France ready to duel each other with medieval weapons, and my country being oh so helpful by standing back to watch or even adding to the arguments.

"You know, with the amount of times they do this, I'm really starting to think that maybe they actually enjoy confronting each other." I addressed Canada in quiet contemplation. I saw him jump slightly from the corner of my eye, since I hadn't actually turned to him as I spoke, and I could just tell he still hadn't gotten over the fact that someone actually noticed him and was attempting to start a conversation with him.

"I-I'm not sure... I don't really like being in people's arguments." Canada replied after a hesitant pause, with a bit of a wobble in his voice.

"And that's a darn good trait to have. Wouldn't be in the mess of a war if more countries were like you." I muttered the last part as an after thought, but I could tell Canada heard from the way a light pink tinge grew on his cheeks.

"You really think so?" Canada seemed hesitant to accept my compliment for what it was. Thus, I finally turned to him and made sure to look him the eye before replying, while the argument in the background seemed to fade in my perspective.

"Of course, a world of Canadas would be a beautiful world. Seriously bro, people would be straight balling in peace if you were in charge." I doubt he understood my modern slang, but he took it in stride and his blush ran deeper as he saw my meaning was genuine. We both hushed after that, but I sent him a large smile before we both turned back to the arguing nations.

"How dare you, frog face-"

"You are nothing but a pompous black sheep-"

"Hahahahahha! Hahaha!"

 _It's going be one of those nights then. Well, it could be worse... Please note the sarcasm in the previous statement._

* * *

"So, how's this going to look, boys?" I asked casually, with a lazy drawl. It has taken them much longer than I expected for them to remember that there were things far more important than their petty arguments, AKA a person randomly being dumped from the future and an alternate dimension into their world.

"Since it appears you are unable to return home at the moment, you must remain with one of us." Britain stated a matter of factly, while we all sat around a large brown table that Britain had led us to in another room. It kind of made me feel like we were having a meeting of sorts, but it was different since only the FACE family was here.

"One of _us_?! Dude, it's obvious she's coming with me!" America announced happily, shinning a bright smile at me.

 _He's so adowable! Aaaand I seriously need to stop fangirling before I scare someone._ I hadn't actually considered staying anywhere else except in America, and I was a little surprised that it seemed Britain was offering something other than that.

 _Something is definitely up with him._ I recalled my previous suspicions about Britain, and I had the feeling something unpleasant was coming up.

"Silly American, why should she go with you? When she could just stay with me? I _am_ better company, and I would make her feel very _cozy_." France had reached out his hand across the table to grasp my hand, while staring at me in a way that just screamed pervert alert.

"What do you say, mademoiselle? Nation or not, I could make you my territory-" I didn't even glance at him as I swiftly pulled back the hand he had taken a hold of, grabbed a random pen on the table, and stabbed it right in between where his thumb and finger had a gap.

"That was me attempting to miss you. Do you wish to find out what happens when I actually attempt to stab you? _No?_ Then you might want to rethink your next sentence." I stated emotionless, while giving France a hard look.

"H-Heh, it was just a suggestion." France tried to recover some dignity. Emphasize on tried, not succeed.

"Actually, when I said she could stay with us, I meant at my place." Britain spoke up, knocking France out of his silent fear of me and America from his laughter, which came from France and mines conversation.

"What?! No way I could let my citizen stay in a lame country like you! You'd probably kill her with food poisoning by tomorrow!" America, ever so blunt, announced, even standing from his chair with sudden emotion. Britain, however, joined him by standing up from his chair as well.

"There is nothing wrong with my cooking!"

"Ha! Surely you are aware your cooking skills are far below mines!" France had joined in, always eager for a chance to insult the island nation.

 _These guys seriously need to see a counselor, like a family counselor or something... Doctor Phil, where you at? ...Then again, I think they might drive the counselor to insanity._

"Hey, guys, shouldn't we get back to the topic?" Canada's voice was, as expected, unheard by all except me.

"Thank you, Canada." I appreciated his effort and wanted to let him know, and while Canada was still surprised by my ability to actually notice him, he seemed to be getting used to it as he sent me a small appreciative smile after only a second of pausing. However, his effort was futile so I decided to lend a helping hand. I quickly scanned the room and thankfully found another bookshelf.

 _Wow, who knew Britain was such an avid reader._ I rose out of my seat, though the only one who noticed was Canada, and walked over to the shelf. I picked out three books at random and noticed only the title of the top book.

 _A Midsummer Night's Dream. Eh, I didn't really enjoying reading this in English anyway._ Without further ado, I stared at the three arguing nations, estimated the distance, and chucked the first book at America.

 _That's for starting the argument._ I chucked it pretty hard, and when it collided with the back of America's head, he immediately stopped arguing and rubbed his head with a small shout of "Hey!"

I gave the others no time to react and immediately chucked the next two books at the remaining two.

 _That's for taking the bait and continuing this ridiculous charade._ The book hit Britain on the back as well, causing him to immediately shut up out of surprise.

 _This is for being a french fry pervert._ Unfortunately for France, he was the only nation whose body faced me so the book hit him square in the face, causing him to shout what I assumed was a French curse before touching his nose as if making sure it was still there.

"Dude, what was the for?!"

"How dare you!"

"My gorgeous face! What if it left a mark?!"

I waited patiently for them all to stop talking and allowed a second of silence to pass before answering.

"So, anyone remember the reason we were in here? And here's a hint, it doesn't have anything to do with throwing temper tantrums and acting like squabbling children." I'm sure even America, with his tendency to ignore the mood, heard the undertone of reprimand and warning in my voice.

"I..."

"T-The fool started it."

"But his food totally does suck." America's little side comment caused Britain to turn a light shade of red, however I sent him a sharp glare and allowed my look of doom to linger on him until Britain hesitantly shut his trap and muttered something about unappreciative Americans.

"So, as far as living situations go..." I trailed off and waited for their answer, and I found myself mildly surprised by who choose to spoke up before America could.

"As I was originally attempting to convey, I believe it would be best if you stayed with me." Britain said with a huff of indignation while straightening his clothes.

"And why is that?" I asked, preventing America's immediate protest by holding up another book in his direction.

"It would be a convenience if I could have you nearby whenever I needed to get information on what you remember. Particularly, what you remember of the mode of travel which brought you here." Britain tossed his words out with an air of flippancy, but there was a gleam in his eyes.

 _There's something more._ I had a hunch about what it was, but I did not want to jump to conclusions just yet.

"And? There's more to this, isn't there?" I questioned, and I saw the gleam in his eyes sharpen.

"I am helping you get back home, and it wouldn't be proper exchange for me to get nothing in return." Britain admitted snidely.

"We're not talking bills or currency, are we?" I tossed back quickly, while everyone watched us as if we're two competitors in an intense tennis match.

"No, I want none of your _American_ currency. I simply want you to share some of that knowledge you have. This world war did occur in your world as well, as you mentioned earlier." Britain appraised me from the corner of his eye, with his arms crossed and back to me.

"You want me to tell you what happens in World War II? To give you an advantage?" I figured someone would mention this sooner or later, but I hoped it would be another nation.

 _It makes sense it's him. America wouldn't think to ask me, Russia isn't here to question me, France would be too busy flirting with me, and China would probably doubt an American's knowledge on history during this time._

"Yes, surely you as an American would be willing to support your country and his allies." Britain was a persuasive man, and pretty good at throwing in some rhetorical devices such as playing on emotions of patriotism and loyalty. However...

"Actually, I wouldn't." I stated softly, though I still noticed the surprised look on America's face especially, and the others as well.

"I would never support my country, your country, or anyone else's country in acts of war. And if you don't know what I'm implying, unfortunately for you Britain, I _am_ a pacifist." I leaned into Britain as I articulated the last four words clearly before stepping back. Within less than a beat, it was as if the tides of reality reared back violently in preparation to release a tidal wave of a chaos upon the room. And I could tell that America, Canada, Britain, France, and myself were all going to be swept away by this tide of an unpredictable nature.

* * *

"Like as the **waves** make towards the pebbl'd shore, so do our minutes, hasten to their end." ~William Shakespeare

* * *

 **Did you enjoy? If so let me know in a review! Next time we're going have a pretty hectic confrontation and I think next chapter will be the last of this prologue stuff so we can finally get to what I feel will be much more interesting situations (to say in the least).**

 **Remember, reviews equal faster updates!**

 **Bye now!**


	3. Chapter 3: Settling a Passing Storm

**Wow, you guys must really have wanted an update because you sure showed my story more love! Thank you my lovely reviewers, followers, and people who favorited this story. I love your support and I want you guys to know you really inspire me to write.**

 **I hope you enjoy this new and really long chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I speak English, not Japanese (wish I could though). I think that is proof enough that I don't own Hetalia.**

* * *

 **Sea** (also known as Blue Water): The disturbance of the **Ocean** or other body of water due to the wind

* * *

There was a dramatic change in the atmosphere of the room, as if a vicious hurricane had rolled in to take us all by surprise, and I sensed the danger immediately.

"What do you mean _pacifist_?" Britain demanded, his anger soon overcoming his shock.

"What? You want the dictionary definition? I abhor war, I do not support war, and I refuse to aide any side of a war due to moral grounds." I stated as a matter of factly, strangely enough allowing some of my building irritation to slip into my terse answer.

 _What's wrong? Sir Britain doesn't know his own language?_ I was getting testy, which really wasn't like me on every other day. Then again, so far my day involved time travel, dimension/reality travel, finding out that some fictional characters actually existed, and accepting all the previous facts in less than twenty four hours. So yeah, I wasn't exactly having a perfect day and I was about ready to throw the towel in.

"No, I do not require a definition." Britain replied more heatedly than before, edging closer to me, but I stubbornly refused to be so easily cowered. Therefore, I held my position while crossing my arms.

"What I meant is that you should make a bloody _exception_. We don't have time for your pacifism! This is war, and I-we need an advantage over Germany!" Britain had edged close enough that his taller height caused him to slightly loom over me.

"Hey, Britain dude, calm down!" America, I dare say, sounded slightly concerned as he stepped closer to us. Though I did not have the time to determine whether that concern was over myself or Britain.

"That is no way to talk to a lady, Britain! Surely even an pompous fool, such as yourself, recognizes that!" France joined in with biting words, and if I had more time, I would have reflected on the idea that he may have been attempting to redirect Britain's anger at himself.

"...If she doesn't want to, you can't make her." Canada's voice was steady, but too soft to be heard by Britain. I did hear him though, and in shock I stared at him until our eyes met. Within his violet eyes, I found a mutual understanding and perhaps even admiration. Canada wasn't a pacifist during this time, but in his heart, he didn't want to fight, and maybe he was glad to see someone doing what he couldn't.

"Don't you understand?! She could tell us how to win this war! She could warn of us attacks by the Axis! She could save millions of our people's lives!" Britain argued back, momentarily focusing on his fellow nations.

"She could tell you how to remove Germany from your home!" Britain shouted at France.

 _Is he turning them against me?_ With that thought, I felt some worry as I saw France pause and even look a bit defeated as he started to contemplate Britain's words. I knew France was under Germany's watch during this time, and in France's face I could see longing for the freedom he used to have. It was troubling to see that Britain's words had reached him, though, because it didn't matter how strong I was, there was no way I could take on a nations as powerful as the ones currently in the room.

Without allies, I didn't stand a chance against them.

"And _you_! You wouldn't have any complaints if she had arrived earlier this month! She could have saved you!" Britain targeted America, swiveling towards him. Stunned, America immediately quieted whatever response he had prepared for Britain.

 _Earlier this month? What month is it? What could have been so bad for America in the beginning of a particular month? ...America was rarely ever physically attacked in WWII... except... for..._

"It's December, isn't it?" I turned to America and he seemed surprised that I had spoken. All the nations seemed shocked that I had spoken, excluding Britain, who looked viciously triumphant.

"Pearl Harbor, huh?" I questioned, not really looking for an answer, but I saw America give a shaky nod of agreement anyway. For a second, I locked eyes with him and I saw pain, a fresh wound, and I started to wonder just how big of a scar he was hiding under his bomber jacket. America gazed back at me, and I could tell that Britain's words had gotten to him too. Yet, I couldn't help but stare back at him with a hint of sorrow before his expression lost the look of pain, and just turned into mild frowning.

"See?! She knows about this war!" Britain shouted, all riled up and waving his hands at me for emphasis. I noticed that France was behind Britain, not speaking, but watching us with a more thoughtful look than before, and he had a gleam in his eye as he stared at me. Observing how the odds were turning against me, I decided to share my piece.

"Yeah, and _she_ also despised learning about history, which is why _her_ worst subject in high school was American and world history class." I stated flatly, trying to add more to my argument. I didn't mean that I failed history class, I never got anything as low as a C in any high school classes, but I meant that I just cared very little for history class compared to all other courses. Heck, I found numbers more interesting, and that's saying something considering I found math mind numbingly boring and as easy as child's play.

"But you knew what I was taking about!" Britain tried to continue his tirade.

"Well, duh! I'm American! Everyone knows what brought America into WWII; it's like the fist thing they tell you in school. When you mention WWII and America, Pearl Harbor is just the first thing that comes to people's minds." I replied, exasperation also entering my tone, but in his anger, Britain seemed not to notice just how far he was knocking against my wall of patience.

"If you know that, surely you must know something else!" Britain had mad desperation in his eyes, and for a second, I could sympathize.

 _He is being bombed every day by Germany right now, and I don't think that will end until next year... It's mainly London being targeted, and considering that is his capital, it's gotta sting quiet a bit. However, I cannot speak of it either way._

"Whether I know anything doesn't matter, because I still wouldn't tell you what I know. I cannot make an exception to my pacifism now just because you want me to. World War II or not, I will not turn back on my beliefs. If you can't handle that, I believe that's a personal problem of yours, not mines." My voice was stern and steady.

"Tell me what you know!" Britain was practically in my face as he demanded an answer.

"No." My tone didn't change, and I refused to rethink my decision. Though I saw how Britain's face had darkened into something near sinister with my every word, yet I did nothing except stand still and await the inevitable.

And the inevitable arrived shortly with Britain releasing a low, feral growl before taking a sharp swing at me.

America, ready to take action, was not fast enough to play the hero.

No, not fast enough to act before I took matters into my own hands.

 _Dodge! Retaliate!_ I heard the voice shout in my head, as it did often even after all these months. I grabbed Britain's fist that was aimed for me, and allowed my body to go in the motion of the momentum he put behind his fist. I fell backwards with his hand, but Britain was not expecting my added weight and he started to topple forward. I then released his hand, slid to the left to avoid his falling body, and I hastened his fall by giving a sharp double fist hit to his back. Britain grunted as he hit the ground, and I knew he was dazed as I placed a firm foot on his back while grabbing one of his arms to pull backwards into an uncomfortable position.

"Next time you choose to attack someone, perhaps you should check to see if they have a military background because just now, you attacked a former member of the American navy." The words were quiet, but with the dead silence in the room I knew everyone could hear me.

 _Oh, the irony. The pacifist who used to be in the U.S. Navy, should I laugh or cry?_ My thoughts were biting and cynical, but I tried to ignore them.

"You're a part of my navy!?" America's voice was louder than usual in the silence, and I vaguely wondered if it was my gender or age that caused my military involvement to surprise him so.

"Once upon a time, yes." I stated with a bitterness reserved solely for myself. Though America didn't notice, and once again seemed enthusiastic to have me as a citizen.

 _It's almost like he's proud of me._ I felt a bit of bashfulness at the thought of my country being proud of me. I was also glad that my words had wiped that solemn look from his face and returned him to his typical self.

"Get off of me!" Britain reminded us all of his predicament by shouting. He barely fought against my hold, probably realizing that it would harm himself more than me if he did fight back. The fact that he wasn't struggling like a trapped animal led me to the conclusion that he had regained his senses. I believed he was back to his irritated, grumpy self, so I released him and stepped back. He quickly rose up and seemingly composed himself.

"I don't know why I bothered with _you_." Britain muttered, dusting off his clothes while shooting his seething glare of wounded pride towards me.

"That's what I was wondering." I stated coolly, but willing to let go of the incident if he did. Unfortunately, it seemed Britain was not as open to forgiveness as I tried to be.

"I don't know why I try anything with _Americans_. None of them ever know how to be of use to anyone; they simply create larger issues." Britain did not have the decency to mutter such words or the wisdom to not say such insults within my earshot. My anger flared, my wall of supposedly never ending patience crumbled, and Britain would cry for mercy once I was done with him. Those facts, I was sure of.

"Not cool, dude!"

This had nothing to do with America. Britain hadn't insulted _us_ , he had insulted _me_. To. My. Face. That was downright disrespectful, and if my life was a Greek mythology novel, as a tragic hero, my tragic flaw would be my pride. Britain would learn that soon.

Yes, he would.

"So that is how you feel? Truly? Well, I guess you didn't need us _worthless_ Americans to give you war supplies either. And you sure didn't need those _useless_ Americans to provide protection for your navy and Air Force, huh?" My voice was steady, but tight with a controlled fury. In response, the room became uncomfortably silent, but I was nowhere near being finished. I snapped my head in Britain's direction and stared at him with a fake, tight lipped smile.

"Let's play a game, Britain! One I like to call 'what if the _useless_ Americans had decided there was no need to help the _poor_ British'. I mean, it's not like you needed us to join you or anything; you were doing just dandy in your own right." My sickly sweet voice was soft as I approached Britain in a manner that likened to a predator taunting its trapped prey, if Britain's disturbed, near fearful, expression said anything. I swore he almost looked like he was preparing to step back as I approached him.

Hm, maybe he had some wisdom.

But that would not be enough to save him.

"I didn't mean that, I just-"

"Let's start off when America first started to send supplies to you. Well, in this game, that never happened. No ammunition or fuel or anything was sent to support Britain, but like you said, who needs those useless Americans anyway, right?" I sent a toothy, ruthless smile at Britain, whose face began to border on disturbed as I continued to speak.

"Now let's imagine in this game that America decided to never furnish or protect any of Britain's supply ships, and in fact, America didn't get involved with Europe's affairs at all. So now, oh now, what did Britain do? His only ally was France, and poor France was already on the brink of being conquered himself. Even if he wanted to, how could France have helped Britain when he needed help himself? So! In typically British fashion, Britain was all alone; isolated." I continued my tirade despite the gasp I heard from France and the sight of Britain's disturbed expression. I also ignored how America seemed to be as speechless as Canada.

"No supplies came to Britain, no protection, and no friends. He was alone, and he was losing. Every night Germany bombed Britain and without American protection, destruction was even wider spread. And everyone knows the best war plan is to attack the enemy while their weak, so there isn't even a chance of the wounded getting back up." Britain was unnerved, and I could see little nervous sweats breaking out on his face, but I didn't let it end there.

"So France was barely hanging on, or perhaps he was already Germany's little French village. Now Britain was even more alone, no hero was coming to his aide, and his enemies noticed that he was weak. His former allies saw that as well. America knew Britain was beyond help, and even if he wanted to, he couldn't save Britain by that point. So what choice did America have, but to save himself and his people. The only option left was to ally himself with the Axis." I heard America make a choking noise and I was sure he wanted to interrupt me, but I gave him no time to.

"If you can't beat them, join them, as they say. After all, America didn't want to end up like Britain and he knew he couldn't rely on those Brits to protect his democracy. So the Axis accepted America into their fold, since they saw that America had listened to their warning and stopped helping their enemies. Now America had secured his existence, and sealed Britain's fate at the same time. In a way, it was a mercy when American planes joined German ones in bombing Britain. Britain was barely holding on and probably in a lot of pain, so why prolong his suffering? Like we would do to a wounded animal, why not be merciful and just end the pain by speeding up the process?" The words were tumbling faster out of my mouth.

"I... I..." Britain fumbled for words, but they died on his tongue.

"So Britain signed his surrender; he had no choice anyway. It was that or utter destruction, and even on death's door he sought life. The war was over by 1942, and the Axis won. Nothing was left to do except decide on what to do with all the land acquired. There was no Britain anymore, not after they started drawing border lines and giving each other pieces of Britain like the true spoil of war he had become. Not that anyone really cared about that particular spoil because by the end, that former nation was hardly more than rubble, if anything at all." I finished my tale, and looked Britain straight in his wide green eyes.

"Well, Britain, wasn't that a fun game? Really shows just how _useless_ those Americans are, huh?" I smiled cruelly, near smirking. I received no response, though, as Britain was speechless.

"No. It didn't show how useless we Americans are, but I think your starting to see the point. You, of all nations, have no right to insult my nationality at this time. In fact, the only right you have right now," I lifted one of my legs up to place on top of a small, oak desk, and leaned into Britain, " is to get on your knees and lick. My. American. Made. Boots." In a flurry of motion, I removed my leg from the desk, leaned back to gauge Britain's reaction, and then I stormed out of the room.

It didn't matter that I had no idea where I was going, I just needed to leave, and I dared not look back.

I didn't want to see how I blew a wind storm into a hurricane.

* * *

 _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Temper!_ Each thought ended with me banging my head against my knuckled hand.

 _I lost it, I seriously did, like what the heck is wrong with me today?! I'm never this bad at keeping my chill._

 _Maybe because you've had a really strenuous day?_ A voice piped up cheerfully in my mind.

 _That's no excuse! He still didn't deserve that._ I berated myself, while running a hand down my face. It had been an hour or so since the incident, and ever since I had cooled down, I had done nothing but give myself the chiding I deserved.

 _I know I used to have quite the temper, but I haven't gotten this angry in a while._ I was so good at controlling myself, not to say I found it easy all the time, but it was extremely rare for me to have lost such self control. Patience was practically my middle name, as I had to be patient to survive high school with all the idiots I was stuck with, and I took pride in my self control. This loss of emotional stability was a complete wonder to me, and a huge failure on my part.

I wasn't supposed be so easily aggravated.

 _Even if he did insult me, I seriously should have left those angry words in my head! Stupid! Idiot! Mistake after mistake! Ugh!_ I wasn't just angry at myself, I felt guilty too. Britain really was having a hard time in WWII before America stepped in, and it wasn't right of me to give him a picture of what could of happened if America had remained an isolationist.

 _It's like I shoved 1984 in his face! All I was missing was "Big Brother's watching"!_ I sighed harshly and closed my eyes for a moment.

 _You can fix this, don't worry._ I reopened my eyes, and turned around to take in the view that a large window offered me. The window was the reason I choose to enter the room after all, since staring at the night sky always filled me with a peace that I couldn't always find within myself. It was a small, bare room I had ended up in, and it felt like a closet compared to the rest of the house, but the view provided was amazing.

 _I can fix it. I just have to find it in me to apologize and hope for the miracle chance that he'll forgive me... I'm dooooomed!_ I sighed heavily again as I watched the outside world. There were no houses outside that had lights on and I saw no lone person wandering the streets, which made me wonder if Britain was having a national blackout like America did during WWII in order to make the area a less likely target for Axis planes. I really did know my history, that Britain was right about, though I could not reveal such knowledge to anybody.

 _I can't even trust Canada with this information! It's not just my pacifism, but everyone knows that time travel is dangerous and certain events could drastically change simply from me existing here... Maybe Britain will understand if I explain how one wrong step from myself, a crushed butterfly later, and the whole world could be destroyed._ I had to clear up this rift between me and Britain, or the guilt would swallow me up and pull me under.

 _Let me calm myself and then find Britain. Even if he doesn't hear me out, at least I will know I tried and my stupid conscious will shut up._ I placated myself with that determined decision, so I sat down on the bench before the window sill, closed my eyes, and just breathed. Taking a few deep breathes, I rested for a few seconds, and the I rose up and strode out the door.

 _I got this, I got this, I don't got this, I don't got this, I'm doomed, I'm doomed, this is the end! ...Shut it over dramatic side of me!_ I shouted in my head, while I started wandering the hallways.

 _I'm surprised nobody has came looking for me... Unless everybody thinks I'm crazy or a temperamental mad woman, which means they're avoiding me._ It was that or they had looked for me, and in this large place, they had yet to locate me. It wouldn't have surprised me considering how I and America had been looking for Britain earlier, and it taken a pretty long time to find him. Yet I hoped to find Britain soon, because if I didn't, I was sure that I was going having an anxiety attack.

I just couldn't stop thinking how badly this attempt at an apology could end for me, and it was making me extremely anxious as more time passed, which is why I just wanted to get the talk over with ASAP.

"Yo Waldo, where you aaaaattt?" I shouted jokingly, in an attempt to calm my fast beating heart. I was continuously looking around the hallway I walked through. It was long and had low lighting in some parts, making it hard to see sometimes, while other areas of it had no lighting at all.

 _Wait, is this the room?_ I came to a halt before the darkened hallway in front of me, when I saw that there was a faint light coming from underneath a partially closed door.

 _This is going to be an icky job._ I thought to myself, preparing to open the door, only to find myself hesitating to raise my hand.

 _Stop holding back! Aren't you working on being more forgiving? Then own up to it already!_ I quickly grew frustrated with myself and my inability to simply rap my fist on the door, so I quickly took in a breathe and swung the door open. It was not the most polite way to enter a place, but it was the only way I could force myself to walk in. I had to convince myself to take action in the immediate moment, or I had a tendency to become indecisive and lose my confidence when I waited too long and my thoughts started to wander.

"Didn't I tell you I did not want to be disturbed..." Britain swiveled around from the window he had been gazing out of, but his voice trailed off once he saw me, and then he sort of froze.

 _Do it! Do it now!_ I encouraged myself with a chant.

"I'm-I-"

"I should not have said that." Britain spoke up at the same time I had gained the strength to speak, which caused me to shut up quickly.

 _Wait... British boy say what?... What?!_ My brain sort of died for a second, and I suddenly felt as if I was the one who had become frozen.

"It was not appropriate for me to say what I did today." Britain seemed stiff in his speech due to a combination of reluctance and perhaps shame. When I first entered the room, he had stared straight at me like a deer in headlights, but now he kept his gaze straight on the wall and far from myself.

 _Excuse me? Aren't I supposed to be the one saying this?_

"It was not right of me to attempt to take advantage of a person in your situation. You have obviously been through a lot today, and this unusual circumstance has no doubt been hard on you." Britain was very tight lipped, and seemed to be scowling at the wall, but I was sure the annoyance was more directed at himself than me.

 _Are the other nations forcing him to do this? Like what is going on?!_

"I should not have tried to cohort you into giving me information and it was wrong of me to become violent, especially to a lady such as yourself. I shouldn't have acted in such a manner and I am-"

"Stop." I order softly, and Britain became quiet more likely due to the fact he was surprised I had spoken up rather than the tone of command I used.

 _This poor sucker needs to stop hating on himself._

"Britain, you don't have to apologize. I was in the wrong just like you." I sighed, and I saw shock in his eyes and protest building on his lips.

"I overreacted. Even if your insult was unwarranted, I should not have scolded you so brutally. We're both adults, and while neither of us acted mature, we can both accept we did not act appropriately to the issue." I admitted, speaking faster than I was used to in order to get it over with, but I forced myself to look straight at Britain the entire time I spoke.

"I only ask that you accept _my_ apology." I concluded, my head titled downwards in shame, as I waited nervously for Britain's response.

Yet he gave no immediate reply, and I cautiously looked up to see him staring at me with wonder and bewilderment in his eyes.

 _It seems I've left him speechless again. In that case..._

"Hey, you still alive in there?" I asked as I approached him and waved a hand in front of his face, causing him to blink again.

"Yes, I was just surprised... No one has ever asked me for forgiveness before." The last part was said under his breathe, but I still managed to hear it. I decided to pretend I hadn't heard, though, as I knew how Britain was and I doubted he would appreciate anyone noticing what he may consider a weakness on his part.

"I accept yours." I stated after the silence became unnerving between us. Britain looked up sharply at that, a question written on his face.

"Your apology to me, I accept it." I stated softly, and leaned back on the wall I had wandered near.

"Truly? You don't hold it against me?" Britain's voice had lost its edge, and in replacement I heard a tad bit of desperation or perhaps longing.

"Of course, I get it Britain. While I am American and I don't exactly like learning about history, I am aware of your situation. You have good reason to worry over your future. Your heartland being bombed every night, your people afraid, and your future uncertain. You have every right to worry... Every right to seek out help." I felt sympathy well up in me, as I thought about what I knew happened to Britain during WWII. I knew Britain was attacked heavily by Germany, especially in the London area, and I also knew he and the rest of Europe would practically be in pieces after the war was over. Even if the WWII in Hetalia was serious to a lesser degree compared to my world, I knew that as a personified nation it had to be rough for him.

"Then why won't you tell me? Surely it can't be just your pacifism." Britain spoke earnestly as he approached my spot against the wall.

"Well, I'm not sure you will understand, but there is a scientific theory about time travel that is also holding me back. It's a very famous one, but it won't be introduced to the world until the 1950s. So can you try your best to understand what I'm about to say despite how crazy it may sound?" I asked Britain, noting how he was startled by my words as he probably thought I wouldn't answer him. Yet I saw little harm in explaining the butterfly effect to him just a decade or so before it would be thought of.

 _Unless Britain is a sci-fi author, I doubt this information will go anywhere except to the other Allies._

"Yes, I will try my best." Britain swore, and the solemn look on his face almost made me giggle from how it made his cheeks redden and puff out.

"Okay, there is this theory called the Butterfly Effect. The basic concept is that one small butterfly has the ability to make rapid and huge changes to the entire world. It sounds crazy, but when you think about it, everything in this world is connected somehow." I tried to paraphrase. I glanced at Britain to make sure he understood and I was glad to see he still seemed to be listening intently.

"To give you an example, let's use World War I. This is a made up example by the way, but just go along with it. So imagine in the original timeline, one without any time traveler like me interfering, that Germany sent a messenger pigeon to give a vital message to his army about how he was going to attack you, Britain, and win the war. However, on its way to send the message, the bird got hungry and ate a butterfly, but it was a poisonous butterfly that it ate. Therefore, the bird died, the message was never received, the attack on Britain never happened, and Germany lost the war. You see how that little butterfly played a big part in a huge thing like the end result of the first world war?" I asked Britain. He appeared dazed to me, but he nodded to show that he was still following.

"I believe I see what you mean." Britain supplied, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Good. Now you know that this scenario is originally what happened, but now let's throw me, the time traveler, in the mix. So I was just a time traveler who had arrived in the middle of World War I. Let's assume I decided to take a walk in the forest, and whoops, I stepped on a butterfly by accident. But it was no big deal, right? Just one little butterfly wouldn't make a difference." The light bulb went off in Britain's head and I knew he understood where I was heading.

"Actually, that little insignificant butterfly was very important. That butterfly was the poisonous one that Germany's bird was supposed to eat. Now, because I interfered, Germany's bird got hungry, but ate a butterfly that wasn't a deadly meal. That bird got the message to Germany's soldiers, the attack happened, Britain was destroyed after the attack, and the other countries fell after him. Germany won World War I, and the whole world was never the same again. And it all began-"

"With one small butterfly." Britain concluded with a wide eyed stare, and I nodded to show my approval.

"Now you see how bad it could go in this war if I change one small thing by accident. Now imagine if I purposely changed one huge thing by giving you information. The whole world could be destroyed if I gave you any type of warning, and I don't know about you, but I kind of value my existence too much to risk it like that." I spoke flippantly, but I was sure Britain knew how serious this time travel incident was now, even if he was a little confused.

"I see. You cannot tell me anything because you might not be helping me, but making it worse." Britain became resigned once it really hit him that I would be no use to him, and even with what Germany was putting him through, I was sure that he saw me and my knowledge as too risky to be of use.

"So, now we've said our apologies and cleared up this issue... Let's put it behind us, okay?" I smiled brightly, feeling the weight of guilt fully leave me as I reached out a hand towards him. Britain glanced at my hand in confusion and I chuckled at the expression.

"Come on, let's reintroduce ourselves since you kind of never did and neither did I." I wanted to laugh at myself, once it occurred to me that none of these nations, including my own, knew my name.

"My name is May Bennett. What's yours?" I started off, grabbing his hand after he eventually offered it to me. I gave his hand a light, friendly shake as he spoke.

"My human name is Arthur Kirkland, however, I prefer Britain." Britain said with a small smile forming on his lips.

"Nice to meet you, Britain. I hope we can get along." I finished out the hand shake and released the hand with a bright smile, happy to get over the tsunami of drama we were hit with.

"Huh, May Bennett you say? That sounds like a-" The smile on my face faltered when I heard his words, but neither of us had time to react before a certain someone decided to interrupt.

"There you are! Where did you go, dude?! I thought you got lost or something in this stuffy house!" America shouted, nearly bursting my eardrums before striding towards me.

"Um, you were looking for me?"

"Stuffy? What do you mean by that?!"

America ignored Britain and continued to pretend that I was the only one in the room. That or his own voice deafened him to Britain's words, and he had worst hearing problems than me after listening to his own voice for over a century.

"Now that I found you, we can head on home! To the good old USA!" America boasted with a pleased look on his face.

"What? You guys decided where I would stay?" I questioned, looking between the two nations and wondering if they continued the meeting after I left.

"No, we did not! This fool probably just thought of this on his own!" Britain stepped in front of me, and put a barrier between me and America.

"So what?! I don't need you guys' opinion! She's _my_ citizen, of course I'm not going to let her stay anywhere near you lame countries!" America argued back, shifting into a confrontational stance near Britain.

"Maybe she prefers us so called 'lame' countries compared to you! I thought you were the land of the free, or some other dreadful title, yet you never even asked your citizen what she wants!" Britain struck back, and the confident smile on America's face turned down a few notches.

"Of course it's her choice! I just know that she'd want to come home! Right, dude?" America still smiled confidently, but I saw some worry in his face when he glanced at me for confirmation.

I hesitated a fraction of a second to answer.

 _Europe's mainly in the war and home isn't here. The choice is obvious._ It also helped that when I looked at America, he stared back at me no differently than he had when we first met. I saw no conflict on his face anymore, and I knew as the land of the free, he would respect my wish to be silent even if he didn't entirely understand my reasoning.

"Of course, America. You're not the home I remember, but you're the closest thing I have in this time period." I spoke with a smile and he smiled back, while Britain huffed out something under his breath.

"Awesome, dude!" America cheered and his hand stretched out to me.

 _Don't worry; you're my citizen. I would never hurt you because... I can't hurt someone that makes up a part of me_. I could see the hidden words written in America's stance as his gloved hand landed on my arm.

"Let's get going already!" America turned around, tugging me with him, but I turned my head back to Britain and smiled.

"See ya on the flip side, Britain." I saluted with my free arm before allowing myself to be dragged away. My butchering of the English language probably horrified Britain to an extent, but he still sent me a stiff, tiny smile and even a quick nod to show he shared my sentiment. Then the door closed behind us and a rift between me and Britain was created, but I was much more comfortable with this physical barrier over the internal one we had earlier today.

* * *

"We're leaving? Like, right now _right now_?" I questioned as I noticed we were entering a section of Britain's house that I had yet to see. America led the way, while I followed at a slower pace since he had a longer stride than me. Also, I took my time because I wanted to observe all I could of Britain's house, as I couldn't recall ever seeing it in the anime or web comic.

"Yeah, dude! We gotta leave during nightfall, or else we could get spotted!" America didn't seem overly concerned about us getting spotted, but he still seemed to be intent on hurrying us along.

 _Makes sense, Germany could easily spot an American plane in broad daylight and then we could be a target. I'm not about that dying life, so yeah, leaving at night sounds fine to me._

"What about my luggage?" I questioned, once it occurred to me, causing me to come to a near stop.

 _It would be a bad idea to leave that stuff lying around._ Modern clothes, technology, and other future items were in my suitcase and bags, and it would be very risky to let just anyone find them.

"I already grabbed it for you! It's by the front door, see?!" America stopped by what I assumed was the front door, and I saw that my light blue suitcase and black duffle bag were already waiting for me by the door.

 _At least I can check that potential issue off the list of what could go wrong._ I actually had more luggage when I was at the airport, but I had set it down earlier when I went to the airport's Starbucks and hadn't taken it with me when I was transported into Hetalia.

"Great, I guess we should go." I mumbled as I slung the duffle back across my chest.

"You are leaving already, mademoiselle?" I stopped moving when France suddenly came down the hall towards us. I was struck with surprise when I noted that he didn't seem to stare at me like I was a threat or possible aid to him, and instead looked at me with the lust he had before me and Britain's confrontation.

 _Then again, France loves women and I am one of them. Maybe, despite my possible resource as war aid, he can't bring himself to hurt something he loves?_ I thought of that idea until I spotted America from the corner of my eye. Strangely enough, America seemed wary of France's approach and even moved in front of me like a human shield.

 _Or maybe America gave all the nations a stern talking to on my behalf?_ I wouldn't put it past America to threaten France or even Britain into treating me right despite my refusal to help them. Once America made his decision to be on my side, I doubted France or Britain would risk their alliance with him by attacking me.

"Yeah, we gotta head back, dude! Before we get caught up in Britain's mess!" America replied casually, preparing to leave. I observed that the wariness had left his face with his causal response, and he only glanced at France for a moment before he turned back towards me. Since it was all speculation on my part, I wasn't quiet sure why France pretended no argument had happened, Britain had apologized, and America had decided to fully support me.

 _Whatever happened in that room after I left... I guess I'll never know._ All I did know was that somehow I had at least four nations on my side, and I wasn't about to question how it happened.

"H-Have a safe trip, eh." Canada chipped in, also coming along behind France. A sincere smile graced myself at his words, while the other two nations seemed to have been greatly startled.

"Thanks Canada!" I replied.

"Are sure you want to go with this unstylish nation? I'm sure you would be happier with me." France, over his shock, and back to his perverted french fry self tried to woo me over once again.

"Yes, I'm sure. Besides aren't you being stalked by Germany or something in this time?" I questioned curiously, to make my point. France immediately quieted and seemed to become nervous.

"W-we still have good food!" France tried and failed at saving his argument.

"Why would she want your Frenchie food when she could get good old USA cooking back home!" America interjected, and I saw France get riled up at the unintentional jab at his food.

"Anyway, we should probably be heading out soon." I tried to change the subject, and all the nations suddenly remembered I was there.

"Yes, well, I still think you are missing out on all the lovely things I could show you, such as my 'Eiffel Tower', but if that is what you wish mademoiselle-" France halted in his speech, and I soon realized he wanted me to end it.

"May. May Bennett. That's my name, Monsieur France." I replied, amused by the fact that no one had actually introduced themselves or more importantly asked me my name.

"Mademoiselle May, what a lovely name. You shall be in my dreams every night we are apart!" France stated dramatically, bright pink and red roses appearing around him, creating a great contrast between him and the darkened area of just outside the house door.

"Whatever, Frenchie! Let's get going, April!" America once more stole the show, even throwing open the door to the outside world.

"I said _May_ , America." I stated, hearing another month in place of mine.

"I know that, June!" America laughed, still getting my name incorrect.

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" I questioned him, while he continued to laugh. However, I didn't forget about the other people still in the room, so I turned back around as America began to close the door shut.

"See ya guys later!" I waved good naturedly once more. In response, I got a shout of "au revoir" with a blown kiss and a soft "goodbye" with a shy smile

 _Deuces, ya'll!_ I had the urge to give the peace sign while walking out, but I controlled my inner randomness as America practically shooed us out onto the dark streets of Britain.

"It's not too far away, May! Let's get a move on!" America seemed pumped up, despite the gravity of the situation around us.

I had seen pictures and watched films that showed Britain during WWII, but like with all things, photos rarely did the actual thing justice. There was an obvious blackout already initiated in Britain, as there were hardly any lights anywhere and I could see murky dark outlines of air vehicles flying through the air. They were most likely Britain's planes, since there would be explosions if they were German planes dropping bombs.

"It really is World War II, huh?" I asked myself softly, once it actually hit me that I was thrown right dab in the middle of a very important time for many countries.

"You need help, May?" I was pulled from my thoughts when America interrupted the silence with his question.

"Oh, no. It's fine, not at all heavy." I reassured America, as he was pointing towards my luggage. I had fallen a distance behind his exuberant pace as I fell deeper into my musing, and he probably thought I was falling behind because my luggage was heavy.

 _I'm cool, just contemplating the significance of my life and this war. No deep thoughts at all!_ I joked with myself, to ease my tension and I fought the smile that tried to make its way onto my face.

"Whoa, what's that?!" America nearly made me jump with his voice, and I was confused by his outburst. America was pointing at my suitcase, which I wheeled around, unlike the duffle bag I had strapped across my chest.

"You mean the wheels?" It suddenly occurred to me that wheeled suitcases probably hadn't been invented yet.

"Yeah, it looks so weird, but cool! Did Americans invent it? When did we make it?! What's it for?" America's eyes seemed to gain sparkles, which actually looked a bit more strange and borderline creepy than an anime fan would think in real life, compared to how cute/normal it appeared in the anime. However, I got over my disturbed feelings and rolled the suitcase closer to him so America could get a good look.

"I'm not sure who made it, but I've seen it my whole life so it's been around for at least two decades, and we use it 'cause it makes it easier to move heavy luggage." I answered what I could in a way that I doubted would effect history at all.

"I have to wait so long for this?! But why?" America whined, once I got him to stop admiring the luggage I was used to, but America had yet to even think about having. Thus I continued to roll it to our destination, as I mulled over what to say.

"It'll be here before you know it." I assured him, trying to wipe the pout off America's face as he finally slowed down from his speed walking and turned down an alley.

"Is that our ride?" I questioned in awe, seeing an old war plane sitting there in the ally.

 _Yup, because it's so normal to just have random Air Force planes just sitting in an alleyway during WWII. And I thought I was crazy, this world beats my crazy by far._ I thought, as America happily walked up to the plane that sat, without any cover whatsoever, in the ally.

"Yup! Ain't she a beauty?!" America asked, sounding proud of the old plane, even though it looked a bit beat up.

"Beauty, no. Cool, a little bit." Back home, we had a WWII section in our museum and I recalled how much I loved running around in the play area. I used stare at the old war planes that had been donated to the museum with wonder, and I used to pretend I was a pilot every time I sat in the fake planes they let kids run around in. I recalled how I would click all the buttons to hear fake engine noises and toss the steering wheel back in forth in attempt to see what it felt like to fly.

 _I should have visited that place one last time before I left home._ I thought to myself, as my body automatically entered the plane and America thankfully seemed too excited to get behind the wheel to notice my sudden silence.

 _It's a passenger plane._ My thoughts shifted when I saw that there were more seats in the airplane than necessary for America and I, so I placed my luggage in two unoccupied seats, before turning towards the front where America was.

"You ready, dude?!" America practically vibrated with anticipation, as I took the copilot's seat and he turned on the engine.

"Sure!" I shouted with a smile, since it was a little hard to hear above the roar of the engine.

 _No, I'm not ready at all._ It wasn't that I distrusted America's flight skills, especially considering his people were the ones to invent the plane. However, I wasn't sure I was ready to take on this world.

This insane world in the middle of a crazy war, and me thrown in the middle.

 _Can I handle this? Truly?_ I asked myself, as I felt us lift up into the sky of shadows. Sadly, I couldn't think of an answer, and my mind remained silent. Discordantly so, as we flew higher into the atmosphere, I couldn't really feel us going up. In fact, it felt more like we were going down, falling deeper into the blackness of the sky.

It was as if we were being swallowed up, pushed under waves by a stormy ocean.

Then again, maybe that was just me.

* * *

"Can ye fathom the **ocean** , dark and deep, where the mighty waves and the grandeur sweep?" ~Fanny Crosby

* * *

 **Finally, I'm done! Sorry for the wait, but it took a while to edit all this. Anyway, now I can move on from prologue things and get to the awesome stuff! Since that the intro is over with, we can get into the crazy aspects of Hetalia, which you will see in the next chapter or so!**

 **Thanks for all that reviewed last time, and just remember the more reviews, the faster the updates!**

 **Bye guys!**


	4. Chapter 4: Out of Place

**Thank you my readers! I know it takes time to leave a review for me, but plenty of you left very kind ones anyway, so this is for you wonderful guys!**

 **Also, I swear this is the last of the prologue stuff. Enjoy the read!**

 **Disclaimer: I do own this! ...Now which one of you idiots actually believes me?**

* * *

 **Ripple** (also known as Splash ): To flow in small **Waves**

* * *

"Enjoying the view?" America questioned, causing me to drag my eyes away from the sky I had been staring at. After flying through the air for a few hours, I had ended up in a dazed state. While somewhere between dozing and day dreaming, my eyes had decided to just land on the window view provided before me.

"Yes, actually. I've only been on a plane once before, and I loved every second of it back then... I feel the same way now." I stated with a small, whimsical smile. I remembered the first time I rode a plane heading towards the Bahamas. I had been half afraid we were going to crash, like 90 percent of the other kids on board, but once we got in the air, my awe overran my fear. My face had marks from how close I leaned against the window that day, and I practically dedicated an entire camera worth of pictures to the view of Florida from the plane's window, as back then it was still common to use disposable cameras instead of camera apps on a phone _(I'm so old)_.

"So you like flying? Makes sense, with you being from the home state of the planes." America's words caused brief surprise to wash over me, before I realized that he was my country and of course he could identify my northern accent. However, I was still a little weirded out by how accurate he got my home's location.

"Yeah, I'm an Ohio girl, but I was born a little down south from the actual place the first plane took off with the Wright Brothers... Though I have seen the Wright State University that was named after them." I spoke casually, with a shrug.

"Ah, so not from Dayton? But you sound like a city girl! Where else could you be from?" America actually seemed surprised at himself for not being able to detect the exact location of my home.

 _Then again, the American accent ha changed a bit since the 1940s, heck, it's changed since I was a little kid. So, it makes sense if he can't entirely tell where I'm from._

"Really, America? Can't recognize my home city? Funny, I could of sworn I heard you mention it once. Cincinnati, ring any bells?" I playful tossed back. Surprisingly I didn't feel too much worry over how America almost steered the plane downwards as he was stunned to hear the name of my home city.

"You're from Cincinnati?!" America seemed floored by the news, but thankfully not enough to accidentally put the plane on the wrong course.

"Yup, got a problem with that?" I asked, folding my arms behind my head and raising an eyebrow in his direction.

 _If I recall correctly, he mentioned my home in less than stellar terms, but I'll get him back for that later_. It didn't matter whether or not good old Cincin sucked, only us Cincinnatians had the right to insult our home. All outsiders only had the right to shut their traps about Cincinnati.

 _Dang straight! Crap city, but it's our crap city... And it will always be home._ I smiled proudly to myself at the thought, just a dash of what might of been homesickness calling out to me.

"Naw, dude! I'm just surprised your not from Columbus or something! Your accent sounds weird compared to most people from that area." America seemed puzzled, and I could feel him staring at me like a child wondering why the circle wouldn't fit into the triangle hole.

"Accents are always changing, and it's a seventy year gap from what your used to compared to the present 2010s."

"Hm, I guess so! You're definitely one of mines either way!" America still seemed happy about that little fact, and even a bit proud. I didn't think I could have done much to impress him, but then again, sometimes it seemed America was as easy to impress as it was to impress a child.

 _I used to want to be a pilot. Just seeing this view reminds me of that old dream._ We had lapsed into a moment of silence and my eyes had drifted back to the airplane window.

"A pilot?! That's awesome!" America replied, and I realized I had spoken my nostalgic thoughts aloud, which rarely happened to me.

"Yeah, back when I was a little girl I used to run around with a pair goggles on my face and some pilot hat on my head. Amelia Earhart was my hero, and I wanted my own plane, so I could be like her and travel the whole world." I stated, falling into my memories again.

 _Strange, I'm rarely so open about my personal thoughts and feelings. Then again, I practically know all about America's personal life. His memories, thoughts, and actions are revealed a lot in the anime._ It had seemed normal to know so much about a fictional character before I entered Hetalia, but knowing now how he actually existed made me feel a bit like a creeper.

 _I guess it's a fair trade._ Maybe that was why I was speaking up so much, I felt guilty for knowing all this stuff about America while I remained a total stranger to him. He had a right to know as much about me as I knew about him.

"Amelia... that woman was something else. Definitely a hero." America wasn't looking at me as he spoke, but I could hear a sober tinge in his voice that wasn't typical for him. A sort of sad chuckle would be my best description for his tone.

 _I wonder if all those stories about America having a thing for Amelia actually had some truth to it._ Yet, just as soon as a frown came upon America's face, it was replaced by a smile, albeit smaller than his usual wide grin.

"So, why didn't you join the Air Force? Why the navy? I mean, their still apart of the best military in the world! But, it sounds like you prefer the sky to the ocean." America questioned, and I could tell he was simply curious about how I could be in the military with my gender and perhaps my age.

"Some dreams are better off staying dreams," I spoke in a rush before moving on to say, "Besides, I don't live near the ocean and I've always loved to see new sights." I stated with a shrug. It wasn't a lie, as I did love the ocean. I got to see plenty of it during my time in the navy, however, the ocean wasn't my main reason for joining the navy. While it wasn't the complete truth I had told, I figured it was best not to explain further, and I decided to just allow America to reach the conclusions I preferred him to come to.

"I know what you mean! It sure is fun being out in the sea, and it's especially awesome when we win battles!" America happily announced. He was smiling broadly, but then he seemed to frown a bit as a light bulb went off in his head.

Seriously, a legit light bulb suddenly appeared above his head and flickered before it disappeared.

 _I'm in my happy place. I'm in my happy place._ These random, freakish appearances in the Hetalia world were something I doubted I would ever get used to.

"I'm at war in the future?" America questioned, and strange enough, he seemed hesitant to ask.

 _Whoever said America was a bad listener was way off... Or at least he isn't when he finds a topic interesting, such as myself_. America did have a tendency to ignore people, unconsciously, but I figured he could actually be very attentive when he felt like it.

"Yeah, you've been at war for a while now... but it's nowhere near as bad as the one you're in right now. It's more of an American issue than world problem." The details I gave him were vague enough that I knew he couldn't really change anything in history based on what I told him. I mentioned no names, no events, and gave no hints to the time frame of the war.

 _It's all good, it's alllll good._

"Wow, you must have joined really young! I mean, you couldn't have been drafted!" America wasn't stupid or a fool, naive maybe, but when he preferred to, he could understand that one plus one equals two.

"Yup! I joined at age seventeen, with my parents permission of course, and I was fresh out of high school... And yes, it was my choice to enlist."

 _A foolish choice that I regret, but you can't change the past._ I was becoming uncomfortable with having myself as a topic, even if America had a right to know, I still deserved some privacy.

"Someone was eager! How come you didn't stay?" America questioned.

"Medical reasons caused me to leave, so I was honorably discharged. I couldn't have stayed even if I wanted to since I could no longer do my job with the injuries I had sustained... from an incident. It doesn't matter, though, I'm all good now." I hoped this was the rare time America read the mood, because I was trying to make my tone clipped to show my displeasure with the conversation. Astonishingly, I think he had read the mood because he only hummed in acknowledgement of my answer before quieting.

 _Even America knows there's a proper time and place for silence, it's too bad he usually doesn't care or notice when that time is._ I returned my eyes back to the window as I fell into my thoughts once more.

 _The worse part about this mess is how I know I'm not in the right time or place... I just hope not too many others realize that._ The airplane continued to steadily fly through the dark sky, and I returned my attention the view of the sky. Flying was wonderful sensation, but for some reason, the more I stared at the clouds and open sky, the less awe I felt. In fact, I gained more of this feeling of being lost. It was like I was drifting in a muddle of blue, and no matter what direction I looked, it appeared my destination would be the same because everything in the distance was the same blur.

* * *

"Yes! That's awesome, we made it just in time!" America's cheers woke me up from my day dreaming with a start, and I quickly suppressed the urge to throw my fist out and hit him.

 _Chill! It's just America... who is cheering for some reason?_ The sky was still dark outside, but as I examined it, I found that the sky seemed brighter for some reason.

 _What time is it?_ I wondered for a moment, when America let out another cheer.

"What gotten you so happy at this late hour?" I asked America.

"It's not late anymore, it's morning now!" America seemed very excited for a reason still beyond me.

"And that is what's gotten you so happy?" I was still confused.

"No, not that! I'm so pumped because I can finally tell you Happy New Year, dude!" America cheered, and it finally dawned on me what the date was.

 _January 1, 1942. How strange, that I got here on the last day of 1941. Is that a coincidence?_

"I almost forgot about it being New Year's Eve! With you popping up and this stupid war, I totally forgot about it until now!" America was placed in a good mood from the sudden holiday surprise, and his joy was contagious.

"1942 is going to be a year to remember, don't you think?" I asked with amusement, doubting that America would understand the true meaning being my words.

"Yeah, it will! Especially when we defeat the Axis!" America cheered even more at the thought.

 _If only that were true._ I thought idly, with a pang of sadness.

"-It feels good to be home! Back at the best nation in the world!" America continued, bringing me out my thoughts as he started to steer us towards the ground below.

 _Wow, I didn't even know we were that close to the U.S.! Hours have passed without me noticing... I must have seriously been out of it._ I knew in my time period that it took about seven hours to travel as we had, and I was sure it took even longer to travel in this time period. Therefore, I found it odd how it was only starting to get a little bright in the sky.

 _It's a wonder I'm not dead to the world, with how long I've been awake_. America lowered the plane gently, and we had a soft landing on the airplane lane below. America was obviously feeling pretty happy to be home, and while I knew this technically wasn't my home, it was the closest thing I had, so I felt some comfort at being in the U.S too.

"Let's get going, May!" America was eager to leave, and he barely gave me enough time to gather my bags before he herded us outside of the plane.

"Is this an army base?" I questioned. In the pale light, I saw a couple of American flags hung up and I saw other planes gathered in the area, but unlike the plane America drove here, I knew those were war planes.

 _Considering how many times I studied them in my history museum and watched television shows with them in it, I'm sure I can tell a war plane from a passenger one._

"Yup! Welcome to Washington D.C!" America stated, and his positivity was infectious.

"I've never been here before." I stated to myself in awe, as I took in the area. There wasn't a lot of light yet, but I saw no one else out at this time to greet us.

 _Maybe everyone is still asleep, but that doesn't seem logical during a war time... Yet Hetalia isn't the most logical place to be in._

"Let's get going to my place, I can't wait to show you it!" America was rushing ahead towards a gate that was already unlocked. It was a very tall gate, but America didn't even glance at it as he walked through the opening and I hurried to follow him.

"Is it nearby?" I asked, wondering if he actually lived near the base.

"Eh, not really, but it will only take like twenty minutes to drive there." America stated, and I suddenly noticed there was a blue Ford car just sitting outside the gate.

 _I don't think I've ever seen America drive a car in Hetalia. Strange._ It was weird seeing America walk up to the car, pull out a pair of keys, and enter the vehicle. I hesitated before throwing my luggage in the back and sitting down in the passenger seat up front.

"Home, sweet home!" America cheered happily, starting the motor before immediately zooming off.

 _I really hope he can drive cars like he drives planes, or I'm not going to worry about surviving WWII, I'll worry about how to survive living with America._ I almost wanted to laugh at the thought, but I was worried it would have a hysterical tinge to it, so I kept quiet and watched the world wake up.

* * *

 _Holy cow, can I have this house, like please?_ My thoughts were a bit rushed as I took in the view of America's house. Obviously there were a few flags in the yard, but it was the size of the yard that got me. America had a lot of land in his front yard, and I had no doubt he had a lot of land in his backyard too. The house itself was painted white and tan, it was very tall, and had dark brown roof. Like Britain's, it was pretty big, but more like miniature mansion rather than an actual legit mansion.

"You like it, dude?" America caught my expression of awe as we walked up to the house, while closing the black gate behind us.

"Naw, man! This is love, not just like!" I stated, amazed by how nice the house looked, and I even had the urge to rush America as he gladly opened the front door and strode in.

"Dude, your house is so sweet!" I couldn't help but say, as I took in the nice, rich oak wooden floor. I also glanced at the staircase which led to an upstairs area, and saw that it was large and kind of old fashioned, even for the 1940s.

 _Now that I think about it, haven't I seen this before?_ The film of awe, which originally clouded my sight, left as I started to seriously take in what I was seeing.

 _Isn't this America's house from the episode with the Revolutionary War flashbacks? The one where Lithuania lived here for a little bit?_ It was the same house, I suddenly knew as I took in the cozy, but definitely old fashioned design of the home.

"It's great, isn't it?! And it's all American!" America hadn't noticed my pensive thought, but I pulled myself out of it when I saw him turn towards me.

"Yeah, it sure is." I agreed with my country.

"Well, let's get you settled in." America welcomed me, and started to lead me upstairs. Now that I knew where I had seen the place before, I kind of felt almost like I was intruding, especially considering I knew a certain storage room was around here somewhere.

 _I doubt he would appreciate me going in there._ I thought with unease, before forcing myself to stop worrying when America came to a halt in front of a bedroom door and pushed it open.

"Here, you go!" America stepped in and I followed. I soon came to see a nice sized room, with a queen sized bed that had oh so surprising red, white, and blue covers.

 _I'm just glad the pillow isn't an American flag, then I would be a bit disturbed._ There was a nice little desk with a lamp on it beside the bed, and a large window with dark blue curtains covering it. It was sparsely decorated, with only the door to what I assumed being the bathroom lining the wall.

"It's pretty nice." I muttered, as I set my luggage down.

"I know, right? It's just the guest room, but you're my guest, so make yourself at home!" America shined a friendly smile in my direction before walking out.

"My room is the last one down the hall if you need anything, dude!" America added hastily before leaving me to my own devices. Thus, I stood there for a moment, taking in all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours before I seated myself on the edge of the bed. I didn't unpack my luggage, simply moved them aside before lying down on the bed and curling up slightly.

 _Why am I here?_ I questioned myself. Then I closed my eyes, not expecting to fall asleep, merely needing some time to shut myself away from this crazy world before I went mad myself.

* * *

It had been a few hours since I laid down, before I finally decided to get up. The first thing I noticed was that the sun was fully out now and I could even hear a few birds chirping outside.

 _What time is it?_ Automatically, I reached into my jacket pocket, and pulled out my iPhone to check the time.

 _Wait! I still have this?! Oh my goodness, yeeeessss!_ I cheered when I realized that my phone hadn't been left behind. It made sense since it was on me when I was transported to this world, heck, I doubted there was a time when my phone wasn't on me. Even the shower was no exception... Okay, I'm going to shut up now.

"Woah, it still works too!" I cheered, after unlocking it to see all my apps were still working, including the time.

 _10:01 am? Wow, I've been in this room for like five hours! I didn't even notice._ I got up and rolled myself off the bed, and proceeded to peek out into the hallway. As I expected, I saw a grandfather clock like the one I saw America and Lithuania pass by in that episode of Hetalia. Comparing the times, I found that my iPhone was accurate.

Thus, I headed back inside my given room.

 _This is great! I thought I was going to go through phone withdrawal symptoms if I didn't have it!_ I actually had forgotten all about my phone with all the excitement I had before now.

 _Wait, if this is here then I should also have-_ I opened the front pocket of my suitcase and pulled out my small windows PC and my headphones.

 _Turn up! This is so awesome!_ I had a moment where I felt high as a kite, knowing that both pieces of technology were still with me in this primitive time. I did a happy dance while sitting cross legged on the bed for a few minutes before settling down.

 _I can listen to music and play some of my apps that don't require internet... Hold up, are those signal bars?_ I stopped my mental happy rant when I noticed that my phone still had a faint WiFi signal.

 _But... it hasn't been invented yet. How?_ I cautiously opened an Internet tab on my phone, and the swirling loading symbol showed up for a few moments before Google appeared.

 _This shouldn't be possible._ I typed in something random to see if it was truly working, and the WiFi signal appeared again before it pulled up random web pages about penguins.

 _It-it... what?!_ I knew without a doubt it shouldn't be possible, but somehow, I had a faint WiFi signal in a time period I knew it didn't exist in. It made no sense, so I quickly investigated, by pulling up the Setting list on my phone and checking the WiFi connection.

 _This will tell me where it's coming from._ I knew I could at least get an idea of what was going on if I knew the WiFi provider's name, but when I pulled up the connection list, the iPhone said that there were no connections available, as if I wasn't connected at all.

 _If I'm not connected, where is this signal coming from?!_ I loved mysteries, but only when they could be solved, and right now I was very confused.

 _Is my laptop the same?_ I quickly turned on my laptop, wishing I could rush it, as it oh so slowly went to the home page. I quickly typed in the login password before checking the WiFi status only to find no connections available. I then tried to see if it would work anyway, like my iPhone, but Google wouldn't load and only an error page telling me I wasn't connected to the Internet popped up.

 _So my laptop makes sense. No connections available in 1942 and no internet pages available. So what makes my iPhone so special?_ I sat there for a moment, with the ridiculous idea that maybe the fact that they were made by two different companies had something to do with it before I quickly dismissed the notion.

 _It's just not possible... Sherlock, a little help, please?_ I tried to get myself out of this mystery with humor, but I still felt unsettled.

 _I don't understand it now, but I got a feeling it will make sense eventually._ There were a lot of unsolved mysteries revolving around me as of late, but I accepted that there wasn't much I could do to solve them, and sitting here thinking about them would only drive me crazy if it did anything at all.

Attempting to pull myself out of my thoughts, I started to put away what I could from my luggage. I put my clothes in a closet that already had hangers. I put my underwear in the desk drawer, and gently placed my laptop and headphones in between them to make sure said technology wouldn't be accidentally found. I emptied my toiletries in the bathroom, which appeared to have hardly been used from the way the tub and sink still shined.

 _I forgot about this!_ I found the frozen vanilla cappuccino bottle that I had forgotten I had bought prior to my arrival in the Hetalia world. I also found five granola bars that I had planned to eat since I had forgotten to eat breakfast in my rush to head for the airport.

 _These might come in handy._ I placed those food items in a drawer, except for the coffee because I wasn't sure if it would be alright to leave in the heat or if it needed to be refrigerated.

 _That's all folks!_ I tossed my empty suitcase and duffle bad under my bed and stood up with my hands on my hips to take in my accomplishment.

 _This is staying with me._ I thought as I placed my phone in my jacket pocket for safe keeping.

 _Now, what to do?_ I hated having nothing to do, and I had no urge to risk using my modern technology for entertainment unless I was absolutely sure no one was in the vicinity.

 _Speaking about people, where is America?_ I hadn't seen him since five something in the morning and I was surprised he hadn't returned to check on me.

 _Maybe he is busy?_ I wasn't sure why America had been so quiet, but I decided I had nothing better to do, so I started to investigate.

 _It's so weird seeing these things in real life rather than as animated drawing._ I walked out my room and entered the hallway, where a familiar brown carpet was laid on the ground and a tall, oak grandfather clock stood up. It was very strange seeing them in the same reality as myself. Despite the world appearing 3D and very real, I could also tell that everything here was out of place, as everything in this world was much more colorful, and while all the humans looked pretty normal, their appearance was a little off to me.

I wonder if I've changed too. I started to examine myself, but I figured I hardly looked any different than I had before arriving in this dimension. When I squinted, I thought maybe the colors of my clothing was a little richer, but I assumed that might have just been my mind seeing what it wanted to see.

"Yes, this is so great!" America's voice startled me to a halt.

 _It's coming from downstairs._ At that moment, I was fortunate to have such a loud country as my nation, because it was easy to locate him. I kind of wanted to explore more of the house, but the thought of accidentally stumbling into his storage room held me back. It was a pretty irrational fear, since I doubted America would notice if I did and if he did catch me, I doubt it would be a big deal to him. Yet like most fears, my fear held little logic behind it.

"Just wait, they're all going to praising my awesome plan!" America continued to cheer as I made my way downstairs to follow the sound.

Moving across the wooden floor, my boots made soft clacking noises as I headed towards what I believed was the dining room, in order to find the source of the noise.

"America?" I questioned once I walked up to the entrance of the room, and I found America standing at the end of the table. He was wolfing down a pile of hamburgers that's were on the table top, while examining some documents.

"Yo, America?" I called to him again since he seemed not to hear me.

 _Ok, time for Plan B._ America still didn't responded, so I walked up to him and before he could reach his last hamburger, I grabbed it. America's reaction was immediate.

"Huh? What happened to my burger?!" America's voice was muffled by the burgers he had chowed down on, and I kind of found it vaguely disturbing how quickly he swallowed the burgers.

"Bro, only you would notice a person once your food is involved." I stated plainly, causing America to look up and see me.

"May?! Oh, yeah, I forgot you were here!" America shouted with a laugh.

 _He... Forgot... About... Me..._ I received my answer to why America hadn't checked on me and I knew without a doubt I had an anime sweat drop on my face.

 _I know I'm not the most noteworthy person, but come on!_

"How welcoming of you." I muttered sarcastically.

"Yeah, sorry about that." America had the decency to appear sheepish, before his eyes caught sight of the hamburger I was still holding up.

"Well, if your hungry, you can have that one!" America offered the burger to me.

 _A burger as a peace offering. Really?_ I felt a small smile adorn my lips at the thought, but then I noticed something.

 _I'm not actually hungry... But I haven't eaten since yesterday morning._ I had gone a day without food, and yet, I wasn't starving.

 _It must be the stress or the shock that made me lose my appetite. I should still eat so I'm not hungry later._ I took a bite out the burger, and resisted the urge to look away as I noticed America was still watching to see if I accepted his offering.

"Woah, this is pretty good." I said after swallowing, causing America to beam at me.

 _I can actually see why he loves these so much. They taste even better than the gourmet burgers I got from Red Robin, and I love that place._

"I know, right?!" America suddenly had another pile of hamburgers appear beside him, and he joined me in eating our brunch. Due to our differences in appetite, every bite I took from my burger was the equivalent of swallowing four hamburgers for him.

"So, what were you doing before I came in?" I asked curiously, after finishing my burger and watching America finish his, so I didn't risk getting a muffled answer.

"Dude, I was totally making these awesome plans on how to defeat the evil Axis! You know, 'cause I'm the one in charge of the meeting next week!" America seemed to be energized at the thought.

 _Now that I think about it, wasn't he supposed to be at the meeting in Britain before he came here._ If I recalled correctly, Britain mentioned that was he one in charge of that meeting yesterday, but had been interrupted by my sudden appearance.

"Aren't you missing another meeting in Britain?" I questioned.

"Yeah, I was supposed to be there, now that I'm a member of the Allies, but then you came and I had to bring us home!" America spoke without looking up from his glorious plans.

"You sure you don't need to go back?" I asked, worried I had accidentally interrupted what might have been an important meeting.

"Of course not! Besides, Britain's in charge of the meeting and I'd rather not listen to his lame plans!" America said all in an upbeat manner.

"So when's the next meeting?" I asked.

"It's next week! Everyone will be here!" America continued on, getting excited over his amazing battle plans again.

 _So I have a week before I should see the rest of the Allies, that shouldn't be too bad... Probably... Maybe?_

"Hey, just wondering, do you have a gym around here or something?" I asked America, and he appeared confused by my sudden question.

"Yeah! You want to see it or something?" America stopped looking at his plans to stare at me.

"Well, since it seems I'm no longer in college right now... I kind have nothing I'm required to do, so I was wondering if I could practice for one of my classes." I stated, secretly eager to do anything at all.

"What class?" America seemed curious.

"I major in theater arts and minor in engineering ." I stated.

"Wow, that sounds like two different things!" America sounded confused, but eager to learn more about me.

"So I've been told. Anyway, I can't really study engineering considering how this is seventy years before the science I know of has been applied, but I can practice my performances since they involve dance among other things." I told him quickly, unwillingly to admit I also wanted to practice something else.

"Sure, I can show you!" America started to walk out the door and I quickly followed.

* * *

"Old fashioned, but I can work with it." I stated as I appraised the old gym room. There was a punching bag hanging from the ceiling to the side, a lot of space, and then plenty of old weights to the other side.

"Great! I don't really use it that much, but it's the only gym I have in this house." America stated, and I could see the truth in his words from the way dust seemed to litter the equipment. I walked up to the center, and I looked up at the tall ceiling to finish my assessment.

"This will be perfect, thanks, America." I turned back to him with a smile.

"No prob, dude! I'm going to head back to my room if you need me. Have fun!" America mock saluted before he left.

"Fun for me ain't what you would consider normal." I stated before starting some warm up stretches. I hurried through them in my excitement before I took in deep breathes to even up my breathing and then practice kokyu.

 _Just like I was taught, easy now._

Slowly I started my katas, which I always did before moving on to my more advanced martial arts. I had been taught the basics of Aikido from a young age, and it was something I had always found pleasure performing. It was helpful when life was rough, kept me physically healthy, and was one of the few consistences in my life.

 _You should never go a day without training!_ I thought cheerfully as I started to move faster, moving my body from the left and right as if avoiding strikes from my imaginary opponent. I continued in this rhythm of dodging before I started to leave my defensive posture and used a Shomen uchi, attacking my invisible opponent.

I also used some Atemi by throwing what would be hand strikes if I actually had something to hit. Nearing the single punching bag, I struck my foot out to hit something solid, just for practice, and I was mildly surprised when the bag flew back to hit the wall. The chain rattled and dust flew off as the bag swung back towards me.

"HOW DID YOU DO THAT!?"

I had saw someone near the entrance of the gym, from my peripheral vision, but I was so focused on my training that I barely mentally noted it.

"I was taught martial arts from a young age." I suggested weakly, taking in America's jaw slackened appearance. Aikido training had been a part of my life since I was six years old, and it was so routine to me that I always found it weird how people stared at me when I practiced. I knew plenty of children and teenagers who took some form of martial arts class, yet people always seemed to be so surprised when they found out I took such classes. It was possible that my typical silent nature and the way I blended in the background of crowds might have lead them to assume I did nothing special in my life.

 _Haven't people heard that it's always the quiet ones?_ Besides, it wasn't like I learned everything over night. It had taken thirteen years of consistent training to get as far as I had, and I still wasn't too advanced. I couldn't perform like people in the movies or something, but I had learned plenty through experience.

"Dude, that's awesome!" America came in the room and stared at the abused punching bag that I had nearly knocked from its chains.

"Um, thanks." I felt a blush on my face as I rarely had anyone that wasn't training me compliment my abilities. My own teacher rarely gave me compliments, not that I was terrible, but it just wasn't in my teacher's nature to flatter over advise.

"I thought you said you were practicing theater performance. Like dance or something." America sounded confused.

"Well, I usually practice my martial arts as a warm up before doing any dance. You know, its like an exercise to me. It gets the blood pumping and my body ready to move." I responded.

"Wow, you sure are active!" America commented and I noticed that he still had his documents in his hands.

"What brought you back here?" I asked.

"Huh? Oh, I forgot my battle plans down here so I had to pass by this room to get them, and then I saw you nail that punching bag!" America sounded as if he was in awe of what he had seen.

 _I can't tell if it's because I'm a woman or he just didn't expect that from me._ I already admitted to having been trained by the navy, and now I told him that I had been trained in a martial art as well. I knew it was unusual for a person of my age to be so physically active, but it was normal to me. Maybe most people didn't live the way I did, but I had long ago accepted I wasn't normal.

"Yeah, I couldn't resist." I admitted a little embarrassed. "When I use old punching bags, I feel like Captain..." I started, before stopping myself.

"Captain who?" America asked, unsure as to why I had stopped.

"Um, there's this superhero I was about to mention, but I'm not sure if he's been invented yet." I admitted hesitantly, regretting not doing my research on said superhero.

"You mean Captain America?" America suggested, stars lighting up his eyes.

 _That still looks unnatural._ I stared back at America's literately star filled eyes.

"Yeah, I wasn't sure if his comics had been made yet. I know his first issue came out during World War II, but I didn't know exactly when." I muttered, only to look up and find that America was staring at me strangely.

"What?" I asked, wondering what was going through his head.

"It's just, you're not like any girl I've met. I mean, you're dressed all strange, you enlisted in my military, you're in college for engineering, you know how to kick butt, and you read comics! I mean that's awesome, but it's kind of freaky too!" America admitted, sort of in a blunt but not a mean manner.

"It's not that weird in the future for a girl to be like that... Though I'm not a typical girl even in the future." I stated with shrug. I wasn't offended at all by his evaluation, as I was well aware I was strange and I accepted my weirdness with a smile. It was the way I was, and I didn't plan on changing anytime soon.

America seemed to understand as he stared at me a little longer, before smiling back at me.

"Well, I don't care if you're weird, you're still an awesome citizen of mine!" America stated with a cheer.

"...Thanks." It was all I could force myself to say.

 _I'm just glad I don't have to hide anything from you._ I wanted to say the rest, but I couldn't convince myself to admit it to him. I never found it easy to speak up about my honest feelings, as I was private by nature. However, I didn't have to say anymore when America accepted my thanks, including the things unsaid, if the accepting look on his face was anything to go by.

"Sure thing!" America replied, with his usual easy going nature. I wasn't sure if it had anything to do with the fact that he was the embodiment of my nation, and we somehow shared an automatic bond due to that, but I had a feeling I could tell him anything and he would just accept it; accept me.

"You ever feel the need to be a comic geek, you can talk to me." I managed to add as he started to leave the room.

"Glad to know, dude!" America stated before walking back out.

 _Hm, maybe it won't be so bad being here._ I thought positively, as I slowly went back to practicing.

 _Maybe this can be fun._

* * *

 _"Zzzzttt... you hear...zzz? Zzzzhmm... Can you hear me? Are... Are you here?"_

 _The blue was all encompassing and I felt weightless under its tender pull._

 _I felt warmth seep into my very core, and heard a voice that was comforting, but hard to understand. I also could hear_ _a large buzzing sound, one which resembled a radio cracking up or some sort of interference coming between my ears and a radio message._

 _"Don't be scaredzzzz... ZzzzzWe need you...help...zzzzzzzZZZZZZzzz."_

 _Who are you? What do you mean?_ _I had questions, but I could tell none of them were going to be answered as the sea pulled me under._

 _"...ZZZzzzZZZ..." The humming became louder until it blocked out the voice completely._

 _The ocean was shrinking, the blue was fading, and the waves settled._

I woke up slowly, as I gently pried my eyes open. I could see pitch darkness, but nothing else.

 _I'm in my room_. I recognized the shelf to the side of me, and the sounds of forest critters which rang out from my partially opened window.

 _I must of forgot to close it._ I thought vaguely as I stared at the window, the dream still holding a grasp on me as I laid there in my bed.

I had been in America's place for six days, and I felt pretty adjusted to the living situation by now. Though, the dreams were something I had yet to get accustomed to.

 _Every night... Those odd dreams._ Ever since I had entered Hetalia, I kept having what felt like the same dream. I could never confirm I was having the same dream though, because I could never remember anything about the dreams except blue... Like bright ocean blue... Words and buzzing. That was all I could remember as the memory of the dream quickly fled me once I fully woke up.

 _These are no ordinary dreams._ I hardly ever had dreams at night when I slept, so having dreams every night for the pass five days straight was unusual enough. The strangest thing was how repetitive or dejavu like the dreams were, and while I knew they were never scary or nightmares, I was disturbed by the odd pattern.

 _Is it because I'm stressed or something?_ I asked myself, doubting the possibility. While I had been through a lot in the past week, I didn't really consider myself stressed out. In fact, I felt quite calm.

 _It's more complicated than that. More important._ The logical side of my brain told me, and I tossed the blankets off of myself at the thought.

 _I'm not tired anyway_. Getting up, as quietly as possible, I went to my bedroom door and slowly opened it before making my way out.

 _I'm not a morning person, but I'm wide awake right now._ I walked cautiously since I was wearing slippery socks while walking down wooden stairs.

 _Exercise does give natural happy signals to the brain... I need some joy right now._ I told myself. I had hurried towards the hallway that I knew would lead to the gym room.

 _Maybe I got lost for the first few days, but now I know where I'm going... right?_ I felt a little worried when I didn't recognize the furniture lining the hall, but then I spotted the gym room and I went up to it.

 _Great, might as well practice._ I started to stretch as I had been doing every day since I arrived in Hetalia. With nothing in particular to do, I had been using my iPhone to play games, read books, and listen to music when I was sure I was alone. When I wasn't doing that, I started to practice my martial arts, dance, and other school activities that I would usually be studying for.

During my stay at America's house, I had noticed that America wasn't always home, but he always left a note telling me that he was out. When he came back late at night, we usually talked about comics or some other similar interest until he called quits and headed to bed.

 _Unlike some people, I enjoy the classics_. America had lent me some of his comic books while he was away and I happily read those along with the literature on my phone. However, I had also been exercising a lot lately, for lack of anything better to do, but right now I was performing to clear my mind rather than escape boredom.

 _What is going on with me?_ I asked myself as I slowly did some easy katas.

 _How did I get here?_ While I tried not to think about it, I couldn't completely stop myself from questioning my sudden trip into Hetalia. Sure, I thought it was pretty cool taking a trip into an anime over going to the real world England, but I was also worried.

 _Why am I here now?_ I had no idea why it was me of all people to travel to Hetalia and more importantly, why I was in Hetalia during WWII.

 _Coincidence, I think not._ I had conveniently ended up in this world during what I considered the most important war of human history, and it seemed doubtful that it was an accident.

 _But if this was on purpose, who did this to me? Why me specifically? Was it random? How did someone or something manage to bring me so far?_ I started to build up a sweat as I started to punch the air and dodge a fake opponent.

 _It doesn't make sense... Then again, the Hetalia world doesn't really follow logic or basic rationality._ I started to do more acrobatic moves, such as hand stands and cartwheels around the padded floor.

 _I don't have answers, but somebody or something does... Perhaps, I'm just going to have to be patient and wait to find out._ I pushed myself back up into a standing position with sweat rolling off me and my breath slightly harsher.

 _I just hope that time doesn't come too late._ Something told me that whatever caused me to enter this world, whether by accident or purposeful, had already set into motion a new course for this world. Even worse, I felt like I was going to be pulled into the tides of change whether or not I came willingly.

 _What's going to happen to me?_ I stood there for a moment, in order catch my breathe, before I moved back into my mind numbing practice, and for the moment, the thoughts of the future could be forgotten.

Thoughts better off saved for another day; a better time.

* * *

"The breaking of a **wave** cannot explain the whole sea." ~Vladimir Nabokov

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed! I had to do some research for this one, but thanks to my own experience and credible websites, I believe I used the correct terms with May's martial arts.**

 **Next chapter, prepare for some serious crazy stuff because sanity is never around when the Allies are together!**

 **Remember, more reviews equal faster updates, so please leave a kind little comment!**

 **Byes!**


	5. Chapter 5: Building Bridges Part 1

**Over twenty reviews?! That's awesome! Thanks a lot all you readers that helped me get my fanfic to this point!**

 **Yet before I get to the story, just know that the dialogue in this chapter is a combination of the English dub and sub, depending on which one I found more fitting for this chapter. Also, I have changed my profile picture to a picture of May during this chapter (without the coat) just in case anyone wants to see her. Though it might take a few hours to appear on my profile page.**

 **Well, hope you enjoy this one!**

 **Disclaimer: ...You guys still read this?! I thought it was clear by now that I don't own Hetalia...**

* * *

 **Dreams** (also know as Visions): A series of thoughts, visions, or feelings that **H** **appen** during sleep

* * *

 _An hour of practicing, and my brain is still half dead... Let zombie mode commence._ I had woken up earlier from another one of those strange dreams, and unable to go back to sleep, I went to the gym yet again. However, I stopped my practice a little earlier than usual so I could have time to take a shower and get dressed.

 _First impressions are unfortunately the most important._ Today I was going to meet the other Allies since America had gotten a message from Britain about how the others nations were curious to meet me.

 _I wonder if that really means they want to make sure I'm not a threat... If they think so, I'm actually a little flattered... Wait, I shouldn't be happy about that. Stupid zombie brain making me think stupid zombie things._ I was only half awake, since I had gotten maybe an hour asleep due to my bout of insomnia last night and the odd dream disrupting what sleep I had gotten, but I managed to put some effort into my choice of clothing despite being so brain dead. It did help that plenty of the clothes I packed were intended to be worn during an internship, therefore, a lot of them were a little on the formal side.

 _I look better than usual at least._ Usual clothing for me was a long sleeve and sweats for the cold days, and a T-shirt and jeans for the hot days. Basically, whatever I threw on myself in the dark was what I stuck with if I had no intentions of leaving the house. Yet today I had chosen to wear black dress slacks, a white turtle neck, a turquoise jacket that was on the formal side, and I threw on a pale green handkerchief/scarf around my neck.

 _My sense of style has always been a bit odd. It's a good thing that I was going to an internship which involved costume design._ The clothes I had settled into were a combination of my intern clothes and casual day off clothes, but I still hesitated to go with them.

 _Eh, my brain's not running on enough thrusters to get me to change._ With that passing thought, I shrugged to myself and headed on downstairs.

"Dude, are you ready to see me amaze my fellow Allies with my awesome plan?!" America was seriously hyped up as he greeted me in the kitchen.

 _Maybe the hippie fairy from rainbow kingdom gave him too much sugar..._

In response to his question, I stared at him blankly with a layer of sleep covering my eyes.

"Uh, dude, you feeling alright?" America questioned me in confusion and slight worry.

I stared at him for another second, as my brain took its sweet time to understand that he was speaking real words, and then I said, "Need... Coffee... Now..."

 _I'm not addicted; I can stop anytime. No need for caffeine rehab... Yet..._

America immediately smiled after a light bulb seemed to go off in his head, and I was grateful one didn't literately appear above his head. My zombie brain would have caused me to panic if it had.

"Oh, yeah! I forgot you didn't get any before me. Of course my fellow American needs coffee!" America seemed happy with me for a reason my dead brain didn't care to figure out. Therefore, I simply grabbed the mug of steaming coffee he gave me, killed it with sugar, and drank half of it with one gulp.

 _Oh, yeah, that's the stuff... Maybe I am an addict..._ My thoughts were more coherent as I finished the rest of my coffee at a slow pace, since I wanted to savor the rejuvenating taste.

"Hahaha! You sure love your coffee!" America seemed amused by my possible addiction _(I'mNotAddicted!)_ to coffee.

"I didn't choose the caffeine life, the caffeine life chose me." I stated plainly with a quiet smile.

Thankfully, America didn't question my words, but he laughed it off instead. I had said things like that to America for the past few days, and he seemed to have realized that most of my strange saying we're jokes that made sense in the time period/world I was from.

"Wait, dude! I forgot to give coffee to someone else! Aw man, I always forget about him!" America stated in a sudden rush before he picked up an entire jug of coffee and started to hurry out the kitchen.

"You do know that I'm the only other person here, right?" I asked America as I rushed to catch up with him.

"Yeah, I know!" America hurriedly said before throwing open the back door, which I had never actually seen before, and hustling out.

"Don't worry, dude! I didn't forget you!" I heard America shout ahead of me.

"America, who the heck are you talking... to... Whoa!" I jerked to a stop when I suddenly saw a very large somebody rise out of America's backyard pool, which I also just now saw for the first time.

"Whale dude! How you doing my friend?" America asked cheerfully, while hugging the whale that was in the pool.

 _I'm surprisingly not freaking out. Must be because all the animals in the Hetalia world don't look too realistic._ Truth was, I actually feared giant oceanic creatures. Turtles, dolphins, and small fish were fine with me. Sharks, octopus, and whales gave me nightmares.

 _Why did my parents let me watch Jaws when I was six?_ _I was so messed up after that film; even the Free Willy franchise couldn't fix me._ I groaned at the thought, while staring at the whale that America continued to talk to.

 _He actually looks kind of cute._ This whale didn't freak me out at all, which was still a weird concept to me since I recalled how I couldn't stand to look at the whale statue I saw at the aquarium back home.

 _Though that was back when I was little kid, so it's possible I'm a little over it._

"I got you breakfast and I totally didn't need to be reminded this time!" America shouted before tossing the entire content of the coffee jug into the pool, and then we both watched the coffee color the area of the water he had tossed it in. Yet in reply to America's statement, the whale made a strange noise before squirting water from his blowhole right into America's face.

"HEY! NOT COOL, WHALE DUDE!" America shouted, though he didn't seem to discouraged by the water.

 _HA! Guess someone saw through your lie._ I laughed at America who valiantly tried to wipe the water from his face with a piece of his shirt.

"So when were you going to tell me about your friend, America?" I still kind of laughed at the wet puppy look America had obtained.

"Actually, I kind of forgot he was back here, or I would of told you sooner!" America seemed slightly embarrassed by his forgetfulness.

"Yeah, you seem to do that a lot." I stated with a grin before turning back to return to the house, once actually I started to feel the morning chill.

"See you later, bro! I swear I'll bring you more coffee when I get back!" America shouted before trailing back into the house after me. I faintly heard what I assumed was a goodbye noise from the whale after America started to shut the door.

 _Whales totally drink coffee, makes perfect sense... and even better, they can live in swimming pools during the freezing winter! ...Hetalia is a mad mad world._ I remembered reading somewhere that whales could live up to two hundred years, so it didn't surprise me that America still had the whale even though he got it way back when he met Japan in that one episode. However, unless America constantly filled that pool with heated salt water, which was possible, and gave the whale actually food, which I had yet to see, it was unlikely this whale would still be alive in my world.

 _Good thing this isn't my world... While on this whale subject, though, I wonder what the president's face looked like when he told America to get more dead whales, only to have him bring one home as a new friend._ Even with coffee, my mind hadn't entirely reverted back to its normal and logical self.

"I'm so ready for today!" America cheered again as he started to put on his typical bomber jacket, and effectively covered the water stain that was on his inner dress shirt. I also put on a modern black trench coat that I had luckily packed, as I noticed Britain tended to have colder weather than America, and I put on the same black boots I wore when I first arrived in Hetalia.

 _I wonder if I wear a scarf, will I match with Sherlock?_ I smiled at the idea of looking like my favorite detective, while America gathered his plans to take outside.

"Let's go there already!" America whooped before practically running to his car. I smiled at his enthusiasm, and I was prepared to follow him when I suddenly saw something from my peripheral vision.

 _What was that?_ I swore I saw something furry and brownish white, maybe tan, zip into the bushes that were on the side of America's house.

"Hey, dude, can you open the car door?! It's freezing out here!" America was already by his car, and with the jumble of papers he was carrying, it seemed he couldn't free one of his hands and open the back door.

 _Eh, it was probably just a squirrel... But aren't they hibernating?_ I didn't have time to think further as America practically woke up the entire neighborhood with his hollering and whining about the cold weather.

 _Boy, please. You don't know true winter unless you live up north. That's where the real cold is._ I thought amusingly as I jogged to the car, and quickly opened the back seat door for him.

"No! It's still cold in here!" America whined after he tossed his plans in the back, and threw himself into the front of the car, while I calmly entered the passenger side and elegantly took a seat.

"Well, the faster we get on the road, the faster we'll be in the nice warm meeting room." I suggested as America shivered in his jacket.

"Great idea! Let's hurry!" America shouted, suddenly jerking the car to life and stepping on the gas pedal.

 _Oh, what have I done?_ I thought with horror when I felt myself pushed back against the seat as America urged the car to go as fast as possible for a vehicle of this time period, which wasn't nearly as fast as modern day, but still unnerving.

 _I can't believe I actually miss seat belts right about now._ America seemed very willing to risk our lives to escape the cold weather, but I found his escape technique to be questionable.

* * *

 _Are we actually on time?_ _Then again, America has been really excited about showing off his plans, so it makes sense that he wants to be here early._ Also, the fact that he drove like a speeding lunatic was a possible contributor to our timely arrival.

"Ah, it's so warm in here!" America sighed with contentment as we entered the meeting room. It was soon apparent to me that no one had arrived just yet, since we were about an hour early.

"It's not that cold outside, not even snowing." I muttered, shrugging off my black coat and hanging it off the back of a chair.

 _You want freezing, just wait until the 2010s when that huge snow storms hits you... You can thank global warming for that._ I recalled how multiple school snow days had granted me such wonderful days of freedom when that huge snow storm hit the U.S.

 _Too bad they made us stay in school longer to make up missed days... or they would have if I hadn't graduated that year. Go graduating Class of 2014!_ Shaking off the memory, I straightened out my clothes while I turned back towards America

"It still hasn't dried, that's probably why your so easily affected by the cold." I stated when I noticed I could see a little bit of the wet spot on his dress shirt, since there was an area of it that the jacket didn't cover.

"It's noticeable?! I can't let my awesome speech be ruined by distracting wet clothes! I must fix it!" America shouted out of sudden self consciousness.

"Ok, you could just go to the restroom and get..." I doubted America heard me as he sped off in what I assumed was the direction of the restrooms.

"And I'm alone with nothing to do." I spoke to the air, crossing my arms in vague annoyance.

 _I'm not staying here to cry tears of boredom._ I thought to myself. Thus I wheeled around towards the door, and walked out of the meeting room.

 _I doubt he'll notice I'm gone anyway._ I strode into the hallways and turned a random corner to find myself staring at a pretty nice looking area.

 _Look at that chandelier, it's so fancy!_ I walked across the brown marble floor, stopped when I reached a close enough distance, and leaned across the shiny fence on the patio above the stair case in order to get a better look.

 _I gotta take a picture, it's too neat not to._ I pulled out my phone from my pocket, swiped upwards on the home screen and snapped a picture.

 _Maybe I can just hang out here until the meeting starts. All the light in this area seems to make everything to sparkle._ I sighed happily as I gazed down at the stairs below.

 _It's almost like I'm falling._ I thought as I leaned over the railing.

 _Blue, so much sky blue..._

 _OceanZZzzttt..._

 _It feels like I'm falling under gentle waves..._

 _"Are zzzyouuu... therrrezzzZZZ?"_

 _"ZZZzzzzzzz..." The w_ _aves retreated._

I jumped back from the railing with a sharp gasp as the buzzing filled my head.

 _What was that?!_ The buzzing was already leaving my mind as fast as it came, but the retreat didn't help to calm my nerves.

 _It's like I was day dreaming, but I wasn't the one in control of the dreams._ I wondered if I was overreacting, but something in my bones told me not to dismiss my own feelings so easily.

 _I need to go for a walk, some fresh air will help._ With slightly panicked breathing, I fast walked towards the staircase and made my way down.

 _I just need a breath of icy air to wake myself up... I'll be alright._ I tried to convince myself as I paced my breathing back to normal and took long strides towards the door leading to what I hoped was the outside.

 _I'll be fine-_ I stopped my rush of thoughts when I collided into a solid object.

"What?! Oh... Hey." I managed to finish lamely when I actually recognized who I bumped into.

"Eh, are you okay? I'm sorry I ran into you!" Canada was a little wide eyed as he quickly backed away from me.

"Yeah, I'm fine, besides it was more of my fault anyway." I stated a little dazed. Knocking into Canada had knocked the strange panic from me, but I was still partially wondering about the odd day dream.

"Even if it was, I'm sorry about that." Canada continued to apologize in a flustered manner.

 _I was the one not paying attention and running aimlessly._ I berated myself for startling the poor guy, and completely forgot about the strange dream when I noted the distress I caused Canada to feel.

"Seriously, don't worry about it, Canada." I tried to reassure him, yet I could see in his eyes that Canada was still troubled. Therefore, I grew quiet until an idea hit me.

"Though it did feel like I collided with a rock when I bumped into you," I smirked in the inside before saying, "You work out or something?" I asked a little mischievously.

"EH?! I-I don't really! That i-is not my kind of thing!" Canada whispered very loudly, being quite a bit spastic with his jerky movements, as he waved his arms around in denial. He even had a bright tinge of red on his cheeks as his purple eyes went wide.

 _Mission accomplished. He's no longer worried about nearly knocking me over._ It actually had felt like I walked into a wall when I collided with Canada, but I wasn't seriously trying to flirt with him or something.

"Hahaha! I'm just kidding, Canada!" I interrupted Canada from his wild denial speech and he immediately clammed shut with my words.

"But if it's any consolation, I'm sure you're as ripped as your brother." I stated with a honest smile.

"I guess, eh..." Canada didn't sound too sure, and I felt a little sympathy grow in my heart from his lack of confidence.

"Hey, how have you been doing this past week?" I asked in sudden curiosity.

"I've been doing pretty well... Thanks for asking." Canada stated pleasantly, and I could tell he was grateful that I cared to ask.

 _He probably doesn't get to talk to many people, let alone anyone with genuine interest in him._ I felt sadden at the thought. It reminded me of how I had sometimes felt that way at college. I missed all my friends back in Ohio, and since most of them had went off to college or the army after graduation, I hadn't seen them a lot since summer after 12th grade.

 _I'll visit them once I'm back home._ I promised myself as I started to come out my thoughts.

"-we should get back before the meeting starts." Canada concluded, and I wondered if he had said anything else before I had fell into my thoughts.

"How long before it starts?" I questioned, wondering if I had been out here for more than the 10 minutes it felt like.

"It starts in," Canada looked at his wrist watch, "ten minutes ago?! I'm late!" Canada chided himself, suddenly realizing the time.

 _10 minutes ago?! There's no way I've been out here for an hour!_ All I had did was look at the chandelier, talk to Canada, and... have that odd dream.

 _How long was I stuck dreaming?_ It had felt like five minutes of those buzzing noises invading my head, but I wondered if maybe I had been lost in my dream for much longer.

"I hope nobody notices I'm late." Canada told himself as we both hurried up the steps.

 _Trust me, Canada, you of all people should have no worries about that._ I thought with a tinge of amusement, and in a sudden brash movement, I grabbed one of Canada's hands.

"Let's hurry then!" I stated cheerfully, pulling ahead of him and dragging him along.

 _Great! I'm pulling an America! Maybe he's rubbing off on me._ Canada was startled for a second, but then I felt his hand softly grip mines back.

 _Occasionally lonely people unite!_ We both ran up to the meeting room before coming to an halt in front of the room's door. I could hear the sounds of people talking coming from the room, but none of them were distinct to me.

"Gentlemen first." I said with a mock bow, and my hand gestured towards the door once I saw Canada hesitating to walk in.

"Are you sure?" Canada asked nervously.

"Of course, no one is going to get on you for being like fifteen minutes late." I assured him without hesitance, and I gave him a reassuring squeeze of the palm before I finally released his hand.

Without further ado, Canada took a moment to compose himself before opening the door slowly and walking through.

"Munch, munch, Germany, munch, Italy, munch!" America was leading the meeting, but I could barely understand him as he stuffed his face with hamburger after hamburger.

 _So instead of ruining his plan with a tiny wet stain on his shirt, he's ruining it by eating hamburgers while talking._

I and Canada walked to the back of the conference room, and I swiped a couple of America's burgers along the way to slow him down in his hamburger rampage.

"See? No one noticed us." I stated quietly as Canada took up one of the empty seats and I sat in the one beside him.

 _I'm surprised America didn't notice me... Is it possible I have Canada's ability to practically turn invisible too?_ I was admittedly just a little on the shy side, though I knew I had been much worse in my younger years. Yet even as a young adult, regardless of how much more out spoken I had become, I still wasn't much of a talker around people that weren't close to me.

 _Maybe every shy person has the invisible ability in this world._ It sounded crazy, but this world sure had some crazy logic going on. Brushing aside my speculation, I took a bite out of one of the hamburgers I'd taken from America's pile while I watched the familiar scene play out.

"I can't understand a single word that your saying; would you please just stop eating." Britain chided America after raising his hand, obviously fed up with America's antics.

"My vocabulary can be intimidating," Britain made an offended sound at America's implication that he was stupid,"so I'll stop eating this absurd pile of hamburgers so you can focus better." America stated haughtily, causing Britain to practically fume with anger. However, after America left his hamburgers, he then preceded to slurp loudly on his soda, causing everyone to have a hard time listening in to his ramblings about his awesome plans.

"Allies-sluurrrp-good guys-Slllluuurp! In other words, I'm the hero!" America finished with only his last words being truly audible.

"Shut up!" Britain voiced pretty much everyone's thoughts as no one understood what America had just said.

"I can't be quiet right now! I haven't finished telling you the rest of my amazing ideas!" America whined, while pulling out another cup of soda.

 _Nope, he's not getting away with this one._ I swallowed the last bite of the hamburger before I decided to stop America from making more of a fool of himself.

"Hey, America! Maybe you could finish telling us about your plans without eating or drinking something at the same time?" I politely suggested, after raising my hand. Immediately all the room's occupants turned to stare at me, and most of them appeared mildly surprised.

"Oh, yeah, it's May! I knew I was forgetting something." America muttered, and I gave him a slightly exasperated look.

"Da, this is the young woman Britain told us about?" Russia broke the silence as he looked at me with curiosity evident in his eyes. Hearing Russia's voice outside of my laptop caught me off guard, as I found his manner of speaking to be understandable, but his Russian accent was very thick so his words were pronounced a little strangely in my opinion.

 _Okay, that smile is a little more creepy than it was through my laptop, but... he's still kind of cute._ I couldn't help but think as I looked at Russia.

"Yes, this is-" Britain began to reply, but America suddenly came over to me, pulled me out of my chair, and slung an arm around my shoulders to place me into a one armed hug.

"My fellow Allies, meet May, one of my amazing citizens! She's totally awesome, dudes!" America introduced me with a great smile, and I couldn't help but smile a little myself at his enthusiastic introduction of me.

"My name's May Bennett, nice to meet you guys." I stated just a little wobbly, as I felt my cheeks heat up from embarrassment. As I mentioned, I've always been a tad shy and now surrounded by all these people I had seen, but never met, I felt like I was talking to strangers and my shy side automatically came out.

 _It's different with America... I feel like I've known him forever; as if he were an old friend._ It was easy to be myself around America, as I felt I could be my silly, sometimes strange self around him and he wouldn't really care, but it was different with these nations.

"It nice to meet you, aru." China's voice was friendly as he greeted me, but for a second, I saw a gleam in his eyes as he appraised me. Also, I found myself observing the nation's voice, and I noticed that China's accent was not as strong as Russia's, but I could hear him skip a few words that most natural English speakers would not leave out, and there was some kind of sternness in his tone when he greeted me.

 _Is he suspicious of me or something? What did I do?_ I expected suspicion from Britain, but from China it was unexpected. Either way, I didn't feel comfortable with the way he stared at my face so I looked away.

"Good morning, little girl. It is good to be meeting you." Russia stated, with his typical "innocent" and "friendly" smile. However, his eyes didn't really match his face and while I couldn't really describe what they looked like to me, I felt like there was something wrong with the story his eyes conveyed.

 _They're not mean or aggressive, but something in his eyes just screams "I'm not right in the head"... It's like he's fractured or something._ I knew that technically Russia had lost his mind decades ago, but I did my best not to be unnerved by his staring. I think America didn't like his attention on me either though, as his arm became a little tighter around me and he pulled me in closer to himself.

"Well, do not take all the attention of the mademoiselle for yourself, Ame'rique!" France interjected as he too stared at me without attempting to hide the lust in his eyes.

"As promised, I have been dreaming of you since the day we met." France blew a kiss towards me and I stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I would have preferred not to know that, but for your sake I will take that as a compliment." I stated with a sigh, dissuading his attention on me.

"Are you so sure you do not want to know? I could describe to you how in my dreams your body was next to my body," While he was talking and delving deeper into his fantasy, I made my way towards him. "And we we're both ready to-" When I got close enough to France, I pulled out the hamburger I hadn't eaten and smacked him hard in the face with it. I hit him with enough force that his chair tipped over and he was sent tumbling back.

"Ah! My precious hair is being touched by this disgusting attempt at food!" France screamed as he quickly sat up and wiped the hamburger off his face. However, it didn't help much as mustard still dripped off the front part of his hair and other vegetables such as lettuce littered his cloak and face.

"You're a perverted french fry, France, and everybody knows french fries go best as a side to hamburgers." I stated plainly as I made my way pass America, who was laughing very loudly and pointing at France, and I took my seat next to Canada.

"Ha! That is what you deserve for saying such foolish things!" Britain shouted, mocking France and barely holding back from laughing.

"The little girl is very strong." Russia smiled a little wider as he watched France and Britain start to argue among themselves. I could admit it was kind of funny though because of how disheveled France looked, with mustard coloring some of his hair and ketchup still staining his cloak.

"I-I can't believe you did that, May." Canada seemed very shocked by my actions.

"I may be a pacifist, Canada, but even I know that some people just need a good smack." I stated with an exaggerated shake of the head as if I pitied France. I stopped when I caught sight of China again, who appeared to be staring at my hands for some reason.

 _Seriously, what is that guy's deal?_ I didn't have time to ponder as America came up behind me, still laughing, and gave me a pat on the back.

"Dude, that was hilarious!" America continued to laugh as I struggled not to fall out of my chair.

 _He really needs to work on controlling that strength of his!_ My actions had disrupted the somewhat ordered meeting, but I wasn't too concerned. Allies and Axis meetings were typically chaotic, and in a way, it felt right. Britain and France were attempting to strangle each other, America was laughing obnoxiously, and all felt right in the world.

* * *

"Alright, we're halfway through our meeting and doing excellent." America stated after the Allies had surprisingly gotten their act together, and I go to watch them work on their battle strategies, most of them making me want to laugh at the ridiculousness of it.

"Dudes, does anyone feel that weirdness here? It's almost like we're being watched or something freaky." America asked with a disturbed expression on his face.

 _Wait a minute, isn't this scene from another episode? I'll look it up once I'm home alone, but I'm sure this event is from another episode._

"I just counted. There are seven people in the room." France said with fear, bringing me out from my thoughts.

"No way, seven people? Who the hell else is in here with us?" Britain also sounded a bit scared, as he and almost all of the other members looked around fearfully.

 _Seriously? It's not just America that's blind?_ _Canada is literally sitting beside me._

"I'm right here, I wonder if they'll pay attention if I makes some noise. One day they'll notice me." Canada spoke softly beside me, the place he had been during the entire meeting.

 _Now that I think about, no one has spoken to him today and he hasn't even spoken up himself._

"Who are you?" Canada's bear suddenly spoke up and questioned him.

 _Where did he come from?!_ I didn't recall seeing Kumajiro earlier when me and Canada had meet in the halls.

 _Yet, what more strangeness and madness could this world bring?_ I questioned myself dramatically, figuring that the bear could pop up like America and his pile of hamburgers. It didn't make sense in my world, but it did make sense in this world.

 _I don't even want to know or try to understand the physics of this oddball Earth. I had trouble enough with the physics class in my own high school._

"I'm Canada." I heard Canada reply to the bear, while the others slowly got over their fear to move on with the meeting.

"Well, I don't know about you dudes, but I'm starving, so let's take a lunch break!" America announced, forgetting all about the strange feeling he had earlier.

"I suppose we could take one." Britain said wearily, like he didn't want to outright agree with America.

"Finally, I can go get good Chinese meal!" China agreed, rising up from his chair like the others.

"Yes, and I can go fix my beautiful hair!" France stated dramatically. He had done a good job of cleaning himself up, but some stains simply wouldn't come out from his clothing and hair.

"Yes, food would be good." Russia stated with a smile.

"Then I temporarily put this meeting on hold! Be back in an hour, dudes!" America cheered as everyone started to get up and leave the room.

 _He didn't even ask Canada whether he agreed._ I felt bad for Canada who still sat in his chair with only a polar bear for company.

"Come on, dude! Let's go out to eat!" America shouted to me after everyone had left.

"Sure, sure." I replied a little hesitantly as I looked back at Canada, and America began to walk out the door.

"Hey, you going to be alright?" I asked Canada, who was pulling something out of his bag. Though he stopped his searching and looked up at me when I started to talk to him.

"Yes, I'm alright. I already packed a lunch." Canada spoke kindly with a smile, and pulled a brown bag out of his suitcase.

"No, I meant by _yourself_. Will you be alright by yourself here... alone?" I questioned softly. Canada eyes widened as he stared at me, freezing for just a second.

"S-sure, I will. I'm used to it, eh." Canada replied shakily, but I could see a trail of sadness on his face.

"Besides I have Kumachija with me, so I won't be completely alone." Canada surprised me by speaking so confidently, but I soon smiled down at him.

"Alright, if you're sure about it... I better get going before America forgets I'm here and drives off without me." I stated jokingly, even though I was a little worried that could actually happen. Thus I grabbed my black coat and moved away from Canada.

"It seems we have something in common then." Canada stated once I had started heading towards the door.

 _Somebody sounds amused._ I thought I heard some teasing in that voice, but I wasn't a hundred percent sure.

"Yeah, that and some more," I tossed back as I got near the entry way and stopped myself there,"but just know, if you ever need a lunch buddy, I'll always be available." I spoke seriously without turning back, and then I ran out into the hallway in a mad dash to catch up with America.

Canada was a nice guy who deserved a lot more in my opinion, and I was willing to prove to him that nice guys didn't always have to finish last.

* * *

 _That boy better not have left me or I'm going to-_ I had managed to run downstairs and somehow found a way outside just in time to catch an unusual, but not surprising scene.

"I'm not taking you anywhere, you commie!" America shouted loudly at Russia who simply stared at with that one smile he almost always had.

"What's going on here?" I asked once I got into hearing range of America.

"See?! May is here now so there's not enough room in here for you anyway!" America shouted, hurrying over to me and dragging me close to the passenger seat of the car.

"May is small girl, she will not take up much space, da." Russia responded.

"What? I still don't know what is going on?" I asked in confusion, glancing between the two nations.

 _And I'm not small! I'm five foot five inches! ...Unless he is referring to my weight, but I'm still average when it come to that._ I was actually an inch taller than the average heighted women, and weight wise, I was somewhere between the 120s to 130s in pounds, so I was not too big or small.

"I was merely asking America for a ride because my driver has called me to say he cannot make it back within the hour." Russia explained, looking down at me.

"Well, go ask China or anyone else!" America suggested heatedly.

"As you can see, we are only ones left so you are my only option." Russia replied, and I noticed his smile had lessened a notch.

 _Oh no, he's starting to do that creepy aura thing!_ It felt like it had become ten degrees colder outside, and I knew it wasn't just the January weather making me feel that way.

"Too bad! Me and May have places to be so I guess you're stuck!" America concluded, opening the driver side of the car and preparing to enter.

"You really have no one else to go to?" I addressed Russia, but both nations swiveled to stare at me.

"May, you can't be serious!" America cried out in shock.

"No, I do not." Russia replied, his dark aura dispatching.

 _Even if he is sort of insane, it wouldn't be right to just leave a guy in the middle of a parking lot without any way to leave_. _Plus, he would have to go without lunch if we left him here._ My moral compass couldn't stand for the thought, let alone actually doing that to that to a person.

"Come on, America. Russia just needs a lift and then you can drop him right back. It won't take too long." I tried to be convincing as I watched America's face fall into disbelief.

"I don't want help some commie like him!" America whined, waving his arm in accusation at Russia.

"But we can't just leave him out in the cold." I explained.

"Yeah, we totally ca-"

"We _can't_ just leave him out in the cold." I allowed an edge to slip into my voice, like a mother does with a bratty child. America obviously heard the tone as he suddenly stopped whining.

"But, Mayyyyy!" America still tried to complain, though it was obvious who had won.

"Climb in, Russia." I opened the back door for him and waved an arm towards it.

"Thank you, small girl." Russia climbed in the back seat. I would have offered him the front, but him and America sitting next to one another probably would have resulted in a car accident, and I wasn't about die over fifty years before I was born. Therefore, I hopped in the passenger seat and watched America moodily take the driver seat.

"Don't try any funny business while you're back there!" America turned his head to glare at Russia before starting the car.

 _Yes, America, because Russia is totally going to strangle you from behind, causing us all to die in a car accident. There's a difference between crazy and suicidal, you know._

"And if you want to get food, you have to go to the same place as us 'cause I'm not wasting time anywhere else!" America tossed back, while driving to the nearest restaurant since I doubted he wanted to spend any more time than necessary with Russia.

"That is good. I can now see how your American food is so poor compared to Russian way of cooking." Russia stated with no malice in his tone while the childish smile remained on his face.

"What?!" America yelled, and it almost looked as if he was ready to jump back there and punch it out with Russia.

 _No! We are not about to have a Cold War while America is driving!_

"America, he is just saying he is interested in trying American food. What is so wrong with that?" I questioned, trying to be diplomatic.

"But he said-"

"America, I have no plans to die today so please keep your eyes on the road." I spoke with a hint of irritation.

"Fine." America grumbled, pulling over to the parking lot of a familiar building.

 _That kind of looks like a castle... I didn't know this place was so old._ I thought to myself as America came to a stop in the parking place and allowed us to come out.

"Finally, we can get some hamburgers!" America's good mood returned at the prospect of his favorite food.

 _I'm actually not that hungry._ I thought to myself as we walked up to an old fashioned White Castle.

 _I'm also not a big eater of White Castle... Plus, I thought White Castle was more in the west side of the country back in the '40s. Must be different history in Hetalia._

America practically ran through the door, but me and Russia followed at a slower pace. Once inside, I took a seat at a one of the empty stools behind the counter while Russia continued to follow America. Or at least Russia was following America until America's arm managed to hit one of the open ketchup bottles on the counter and slam onto it. Within a second, ketchup squirted out and hit Russia right on his coat.

 _I hope they're not about to kill each other._

"Whoops!" America muttered sarcastically, moving away from Russia. Surprisingly, Russia only looked down at the stain on his coat with a smile and said, "I guess I will go and clean this." Russia then left the food counter and went to the restroom area.

As soon as Russia was out of sight, America took a seat near me and ordered a meal from the lady behind the counter. He astonished me by not ordering a lot, as he only ordered one hamburger meal for me and two hamburger meals for himself.

 _Maybe he actually got full from that pile of hamburgers he ate earlier._ Unlike in my own time period, the food arrived as quickly as fast food was intended to. Thus, I bit into my burger, assuming I would be hungry later if I didn't eat now. When I looked up though, I was shocked to see America eat both hamburger meals much faster than I had ever seen him eat before.

 _It's like he swallowed them whole!_ I was just a little freaked out by his eating habits as I continued to eat my own burger.

"There, I'm done! Let's hurry out of here!" America suddenly shouted after I had only eaten half my burger.

"Are you sure? You usually have more of an appetite." I wondered what was up with America as he practically vibrated with anticipation.

"Of course, dude! Are you done?" America questioned, looking around the restaurant like he was expecting something to happen around us.

"Yeah, I'm done, but why... Are you trying to leave Russia behind?" I asked suspiciously once I realized we were missing a certain nation.

 _I knew that ketchup spill wasn't an accident!_ While America often lacked control of his strength, I had found that he was never really a klutz.

"Well, you only said we couldn't leave him in the parking lot! I didn't leave him there, I drove him to get food, and now let's go!" America sprang up and grabbed my hand to pull me along.

"Has Russia agreed to that?" I asked in a strict tone.

"Who cares! Let's just-"

"Are you two planning to leave?" Russia startled us both when he appeared behind us.

"Yes, we-"

"Russia, do you think your driver would be able to pick you up from here and take you back to the meeting?" I questioned. Russia looked mildly surprised by my honest question and the smile went off his face for a second before it made a quick return.

"I suppose I could call." Russia replied after a moment of thought.

"Then call because I'm not taking you back! Let's go, May!" America shouted as he hurried out the door after sending a glare towards Russia.

"Sorry about that, Russia. I don't think I can convince him to take you back with us." I quickly explained as I turned to walk out the door. However, I was stopped when Russia somehow managed to get in front of the exit door the second I spun around.

"I don't understand why, but I find you intriguing, strange girl." Russia stated, the smile a bit smaller on his face and his tone a little serious.

"Um, thanks..." I stated a little hesitantly, staring back at him with a questioning look. Though Russia said no more, so I slipped around him and exited the building.

 _And that was both awkward and strange._ I thought as I ran up to America's car to join him for the ride back.

"I'm so glad we got rid of that stupid commie!" America shouted with relief as he turned on the car and prepared to speed off. I knew how much America really disliked Russia, and I had no doubt that actually being stuck in the car with him was tough, so I decided to mollify him.

"You know, America. It was pretty _heroic_ of you to help out Russia." I stated a little sweetly, purposely sounding more joyful than I felt.

"It was?! I mean, of course it was! I, the hero, am totally willing to make sacrifices for the good of the people!" America's good mood came back instantly, and I smiled at the change.

 _Even if it took some convincing, it's good to know your not heartless, America._ America sped up the car, probably without realizing it, as his usual positive vibe made him a bundle of energy once again.

 _Though I'm starting to doubt you're all that sane._

* * *

"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't **happen** at once." ~Albert Einstein

* * *

 **Next time, see the meeting part two! Let the crazy continue!**

 **Also,** **fun fact: White Castle actually started making french fries for the first time during the 1940s. Who knew?**

 **Anyway, please leave a review, big or small, and help inspire me to continue writing!**

 **Bye now!**


	6. Chapter 6: Building Bridges Part 2

**Sorry for taking longer than usual to publish this chapter, but I've been really busy with life. First of all, I had to pack up everything in my room and decide what I could bring or leave behind since I was finally ready to move into my college dorm, and now I have all this college stuff taking up my time! Plus, I caught a cold that took the life out of me for a few days. However, the amount of follows and favorites inspired me to find time to edit this chapter!**

 **So thanks for reviewing, favoriting and following this story!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia, but I do own this Hetalia fanfic, so I guess I own a part of Hetalia... Maybe? ...A little bit? ...That's a no, isn't it? :[**

* * *

 **Rip** (also known as Tear): A body of water made rough by the meeting of opposing tides, **Currents** , or winds

* * *

"We're early... Again..." I sighed out of slight exasperation. Since America rushed us to leave the restaurant, we we're back thirty or so minutes before the second half of the meeting. Once again, I found myself wandering the halls alone due to America heading straight to the meeting room, so he could properly prepare the chalkboard for a second round of his plans on how to fight the Axis.

 _You know, it's kind of nice exploring this place. I had no idea it was so large or decorated so beautifully. I guess I might feel so surprised because Hetalia never really revealed much of this building besides the meeting room we always get to see._

I rounded a corner and wandered down an unfamiliar hall, but stopped short when I noticed how dimly lighted it was.

 _Maybe it's dark because there are no windows here._ Most of the building was actually covered with large windows, some taller than myself, but this hallway didn't follow the general pattern of the building. Disregarding the strangeness, I simply shrugged and wandered a little further down the hall for the sake of exploration.

 _I've got plenty of time to kill._ I pulled out my phone to see I still had about twenty minutes before I was supposed to head back to the meeting room. With my phone already out, I also pulled up a WWII timeline that I had found on the Internet, just to make sure it was still open on one of the Internet pages. I had searched for the timeline back when I was alone at America's house, as I wanted to make sure I was prepared for any big events that could happen in this version of WWII. I also wanted to monitor the general progress of the timeline to make sure my mere presence in this dimension didn't change any huge events in the WWII of Hetalia.

 _According to this timeline, the most important event happening this month is how Manila, Philippines will fall to Japan._ _Nothing too serious I guess._ I read the information on my phone, while not really paying attention to what was in front of me. Due to my inattentiveness, I was nearly startled into dropping my phone when I heard the scuffing of feet.

 _Oh crap! Somebody's coming!_ I hurried to throw my phone into one of my large pants' pockets and scrambled to make sure it was still on silent. I doubted I would be receiving any calls, for obvious reasons, but I wasn't going to risk it during such a vital time period.

 _Who is it?_ The second I had hid my phone, I looked ahead to see that a much more lighted area of the building was coming up. My eyes also caught sight of the shadow of what I assumed was a person leaving around a corner.

 _I wonder who that is... Spy time!_ I was curious about who else could be in the building besides me, America, and probably Canada. Another reason I decided to follow my mystery person was because it reminded me of when I was a little girl. Whenever my parents dragged me to some boring adult gathering or meeting, I used to have a lot fun sneaking off and wandering around the new _(to me)_ unexplored building, especially the parts that seemed abandoned or haunted. I even recalled that whenever I found some other poor kid that was in the same situation as me, we used to attempt to spy on adults or dare each other to enter the spookiest, most forbidden area we could find. The part of me which sought a life of adventure hadn't died out even at the age of nineteen.

 _Hey, I only turned nineteen about two weeks before I ended up in this world, so I'm not too old to play Spy... Totally not too old._ I bent over a little as I rushed to the lighted area of the building, making sure to keep my steps soft, and when I neared the lighted area, I lied myself flat against the wall. Deciding to take a peek around the corner, I cautiously stuck my head out to see a certain nation walking farther down the bright hallway.

 _Hey, it's China!_ I felt a little giddy that I had managed to satisfy my curiosity, but then I frowned when I remembered how he reacted to me earlier.

 _What did I do to offend him? Or make him suspicious?_ I asked myself. I considered the fact that despite all the explanations and possible assurances Britain had given China, he still considered me a risk or he still thought I could help them by warning them of future events. Personally, I thought that all my explanations were unreasonable since China had always seemed more considerate and logical than that. Either way, no solid answers were forthcoming by me standing around and wondering, but I knew there was one sure way to receive the true answers.

 _The only way to really know is to ask him._ A logical voice provided in the back of my head.

 _True, but it might be a little awkward coming out and asking "Why you mad, bro?"._ Despite my timid side trying to talk me out of it, I turned the corner and started to come up to China by means of fast walking.

 _Didn't someone once say to make friends whenever it is possible not be enemies? Or maybe it's don't make enemies when their is a chance you don't have to be enemies. Either way, I agree that I don't want an enemy when it's possible not to have one._ Truthfully, I kind of lived by the idea that there was no reason to be enemies with another person if it was possible not to be. Sometimes, I knew it was impossible to avoid making enemies as some people just won't click with certain personalities and a person could always hate another for no reason at all, but it didn't have to be that way between China and me.

"Hey, China! Wait up!" My voice carried though the hallway, and I was grateful when I saw China stop and turn around while I jogged up to him.

"Is there something wrong, May?" China sounded pleasant as he spoke, but when I looked in his eyes, I could see something not so welcoming.

 _There is something strange in that look and I want to know what it is._

"Well, I just wanted to ask if you could lead me back to the meeting room. I kind of wandered off and now I'm not really sure how to get back." I stated a little shaky, despite my words pretty much being true. I wasn't entirely sure how to get back to the meeting room from where I was, and though I was sure I could find my way back after some time, I wasn't a hundred percent sure I could be back on time for the conclusion of the meeting.

"Of course, it would be improper of me to not to help you return." China replied kindly, with a slight smile, but the look in his eyes was still there. Thus, we stood beside each other as we walked down the hallway. This hall I noted to have tons of windows which let plenty of sunlight fall upon us.

 _Okay, so I haven't come straight out with it, but I can work my way into the topic._ We walked in silence, but it wasn't a comfortable one to me. I could still feel this vibe of distrust coming off of China, and I felt awkward and uncomfortable with the atmosphere China created as we strolled towards our destination.

 _Come on, May! You can do this, there is no reason to be shy around a character from Hetalia. Think of China's panda and kawaii over it until you are in a good mood!_ I knew plenty about China and what type of person he was, but I couldn't help except feel timid about breaking the silence we had fallen into. I had this growing irrational fear that he wouldn't appreciate or listen to what I had to say, and the silence was unnerving enough to slowly chip away at the confidence I had built up.

 _I can't take this! Not even the May-think-of-kawaii method will help me! This is so not cool!_ I vaguely wondered if I had a nervous anime sweat drop starting to form on my face, when the stretch of silence caused me to fidget as I walked.

 _That's it! Do it now!_

"China, I want to ask you something else." I started off quietly in the silence, my voice cautious like the footsteps of a person standing on thin ice. As if to prove my illogical fears wrong though, China stopped walking as soon as I opened my mouth and turned to me with some curiosity evident on his attentive face.

"I... Did I do something to offend you?" I asked shakily, failing to maintain control of my emotions for a second. Quickly regaining control, I forced myself to look China in the eye to gauge his reaction. Without speaking a word, China's eyes widen with surprise, but I wasn't done speaking.

"I ask this because if I have offended you or somehow rubbed you the wrong way, I want to let you know that I didn't mean to. And while I'm not sure what I've done, I apologize for whatever it was that I did wrong." I quickly fell into a bow, mainly because I knew it was custom to do so in a lot of Asian countries, and also because I couldn't force myself to look him in the eye anymore. Therefore, I couldn't anticipate his reaction to my apology, so for an agonizing moment, I was worried he would react negatively. However, I was pleasantly startled to feel a hand touch my shoulder, causing me to straighten back up slowly and assess the situation.

"You have done nothing wrong, aru. I did not mean to make you think I was wronged by you." China stated kindly, his hand leaving my shoulder. Though, what really caught me off guard were his eyes.

 _They look much better that way._ China's eyes no longer held well hidden hostility as they had since we were first introduced, and I was glad to see they were much more welcoming to look at without a layer of frost covering the warmth they were capable of.

"Sooo, I didn't do anything wrong?" I asked just to confirm, and China nodded.

"No, you did nothing wrong. If it seemed I was angry at you, I am sorry. I merely did not know what to make of you, and I was suspicious. Yet that was not entirely appropriate of me since you are American..." China spoke reassuringly, but I heard a little question in his tone.

"Yep! Born and raised in the USA." I confirmed cheerfully. China had resumed walking, and I hurried along with him, so I could make sure he heard me.

"That is nice to hear, aru." China spoke sincerely, and I saw him examine my face, perhaps to see if I was being honest, before he nodded to himself about whatever he saw.

 _I wonder what that was all about._ I wasn't completely sure of the exact reasons for China's suspicious of me in the first place, but I was glad he had moved on from whatever has led him to feel that way about me. Thus, we started to walk pass a familiar set of stairs and I knew we would be near the meeting room soon.

 _I wish I could check my phone to make sure we aren't late._ I was nowhere near reckless enough to actually pull out my phone, but I could still feel my hand twitch in its direction as we headed towards the closed door of the meeting room.

"Thanks for getting me back here, China." I told him with a smile.

"It was wise to ask me. Us Chinese have great sense of direction, aru." China replied proudly as we opened the meeting room to see almost everyone was already inside.

 _Russia's not here yet. I hope he's alright._ I vaguely wondered if Russia was going to miss the start of the meeting as I took my seat next to Canada.

"Nice to see ya again, Canada." I told the nation once I was situated.

"Hello, May. I'm glad your back too." Canada replied just as pleasantly, and I noticed he sounded more comfortable as he spoke to me compared to the first day I had arrived in Hetalia.

 _Ah, it's progress. Seems I've been doing that with people a lot lately._ Now comfortably seated, I lost myself to my thoughts during the last minute prior to the time that the meeting was set to start.

 _Let's see what chaos will come during this session._

* * *

It was strange how I soon found myself admitting that I was a little bored after a few minutes into the meeting. To my relief, Russia had barely made it to the meeting in time, but no one dared to call him out on it. Though I did notice that America seemed to frown when he saw that Russia had actually showed up. Yet, besides Russia nearly being late, nothing else very interesting happened.

 _Wow, they actually acted like civilized beings for once._ The rest of the meeting had gone off smoothly and it didn't even last that long, mainly because I think a lot of the other Allies were growing tired of hearing about America's multiple crazy plans. Therefore, practically the second America started to bring out another ridiculous idea that involved him being the hero while the rest of the Allies were backup, some Allies would immediately raise their hand and list everything wrong with America's plan or they would just flat out reject the idea. With some sort of silent agreement to stop America from even mentioning another ludicrous idea, the other Allies managed to burn through the second half of the meeting rather quickly.

"Dudes, it's time to put a fork in this meeting 'cause it's done!" America shouted happily, while fixing a stack of papers in his hands.

 _I actually kind of want to go home after being here so long. It's not like I can do much since I have no business messing around with war plans and battle strategies._ I sighed absentmindedly while I anticipated the conclusion of the meeting.

"Everything we discussed here is top secret-" America's words rang a bell in my head, and I sat up a little straighter as something occurred to me.

 _Hold up, isn't Italy supposed to sneak in here and try to spy on them?_ _But he can't be in Canada's seat since Canada is right next to me-_ I turned towards the seat besides me, and immediately jumped when I saw Italy sitting there with a dazed smile on his face.

 _Aw, he's so cute! But more importantly, what the heck?! When did he get in here and how?!_ I stared at Italy with wide eyes, but he didn't seem to notice me.

 _Okay, I'm not getting in the middle of this._ I knew the meeting room was going to fall into chaos within a matter of seconds, so I shot up from my seat and swiftly moved towards where America was seated.

"Are we going to have dinner after this? Will it be pasta?" Italy asked innocently, as everyone stared at him in various degrees of shock. I saw Canada also move over beside me _(where had he been?!)_ as everyone warily listened to how Italy kept asking if they were all going to eat pasta.

 _I love pasta as much as the next person, but Italy really needs to learn that there's a time and place for eating it. Right now is not the time!_

"What's going on with the security here?" Britain shouted, as he and the other Allies started to move towards Italy, who was slowly becoming aware of the danger he was in.

"We can't let Italy leave with all our secrets! What if he tells Germany?!" France cried out, also moving towards Italy.

"Don't worry, dudes! The hero will capture this villain!" All the Allies, excluding Canada, charged at Italy with obvious intents to capture him. Immediately the adorable, oblivious look on Italy's face was replaced with complete terror. I heard Italy scream a little as he dodged the hands of France and Britain. However, this caused the two to bump into each other, and once they found themselves tangled with one another, they started arguing among themselves instead of looking for Italy.

 _Italy would totally win any Olympic competition that involved running if they had the Olympics during WWII._ I watched as the next attempt to capture Italy was done by Russia, who took out his pipe and swung at Italy. Except Italy quickly ducked with that inhuman speed of his, which was created by his fear, and instead of hitting Italy, Russia almost took off China's head since China had been trying to stop Italy from behind.

"Aiya! I am not the enemy!" China shouted at Russia, probably glad his brains weren't knocked out by the pipe. Russia merely laughed in reply, not in the least put off by China's anger.

"I told Germany this was a bad idea!" I heard Italy whine as he started to head towards the door. However, America was in his path to freedom.

"I can't let you go, dude!" America lunged at Italy without hesitation, but Italy kicked a chair towards him and caused America's aim to be a little off. America thus ended up lunging to the side and grasping at the table, which resulted in his face meeting said table. Italy, frightened for his life, saw the gap between America and the wall, and he immediately ran so fast that he appeared to be a blur of auburn hair and blue clothing to me. The door slammed open before anyone knew it, and the whirlwind that was Italy had vacated the premises with only a faint echo of his screaming left in the meeting room.

 _Well, that's one way to end a meeting._ I was too shell shocked to do much except stare at the end result of miniature battle.

"You stupid frog face, I almost had him!"

"Better a frog than the black sheep of Europe!" Britain and France were insulting each other and attempting to pin the blame of Italy's escape on the other country.

"Aiya! What are you trying to do to me, Russia? I could have used ancient Chinese method to capture enemy, but you got in my way!" China ranted at Russia, still sore over not catching Italy.

"This could have be avoided if you just became one with Russia, da?" Russia smiled at China, but I swore I could see the typical dark, sinister aura form around him as his smile became way more creepy.

"Aw, man! I totally had him but the chair got in the way, dudes!" America complained, rubbing his head where he had crashed against the table when the chair tripped him up.

"Canada, I believe we deserve to high five ourselves." I looked up at Canada, who was the only Allies member still in one piece.

"Why would we do that, eh?" Canada asked me, with his bear secured in his arms.

"I think we just proved how effective it is to be pacifist by nature." I replied, and held up one hand in his direction. With a second of consideration, Canada took one of his hands away from Kumajiro, and we high fived each other.

 _It's a wonder of the world how this crazy bunch managed to win WWII._ I watched the group put themselves back together, or at least try to, and gather around the table for one moment.

"Today has been too long, aru." China complained with a long suffering sigh, and sent a brief glare to Russia.

"I would like to be heading home now." Russia added, the ever permanent smile on his face and his pipe still in his hands.

"I can't stand being around such unfashionable people! Especially that distasteful green!" France brought up, while giving Britain's uniform a rather pointed look.

"And I can't stand being around pompous fools!" Britain shot back, his clothing still a bit rumpled from his and France's earlier argument.

"I should probably head home too." I heard Canada offer, though only I seemed to hear him.

"I'm starving, dudes! So I guess we can actually put an end to this meeting!" America agreed, and formally concluded the last part of the Allies meeting. With those words, China left the room without hesitation, mentioning something about how he was too old to deal with strange, young nations. Russia followed him as well, and I think I heard him mention something about becoming one with him, which caused China to yell something back in reply. Still in the room, France was checking his hair in a hand mirror, America was munching on another stack of hamburgers, and Britain silently seethed as he gathered his things.

"I should probably get going, eh." Canada spoke beside me, and I was a little surprised to see his briefcase in one hand and his bear in the other.

"Don't you want to talk to America first? You don't have to leave immediately, you know?" I asked Canada, and he seemed hesitant to reply.

"Well, he probably wouldn't hear me if I-"

"Canada, bro! When did you get here?" America shouted, his pile of hamburgers already long gone, while quickly ran up to Canada.

"America, I've been here for the whole meeting." Canada said patiently, but with a tired sigh.

"What?! Now way! I totally would have noticed if you were here that long!" America brushed off Canada's answer, since he was so confident in his ability to notice his own brother. However, America hadn't seemed to notice me, so I started to walk away from the two.

 _Good for, Canada. He needs some decent company._ I thought cheerfully as I headed over to a particular grumpy nation.

"Hey, Britain! How are you feeling?" I asked him, and I saw his irritated expression fade into a more passive one.

"As well as you can expect when I'm surrounded by less than pleasant fools." Britain huffed as he sent a glare towards both France and America.

"I can't say I disagree. From what I've seen in my world and now up close, you're allied with a very... _Odd_ group of people." I added, scratching the back of my head a little nervously. I was unable to think of a nicer term to describe the group that made up the Allies, but I could admit that every member certainly made up a very diverse group of nations. Some of them were from different continents and some were not exactly sane, but they all had a common enemy to unite them.

"That, my dear, is an extreme understatement." Britain stated with a sardonic smirk and narrowed eyes.

"Just trying to be nice." I muttered, just in case America could hear me. I knew Britain heard my somewhat sarcastic implication as he gave a small, dark chuckle after closing his suitcase with a click.

"Either way, I'm glad your doing well, Britain. I doubt it's easy to be a nation during this time." I replied to him as I noticed he was near ready to leave. I wasn't looking at him as spoke, since America's loud conversation with Canada was distracting me, but from my peripheral vision I saw him stop and I believe turn in my direction when I spoke up.

"Yes, well, I appreciate the thought, but there is no need for such sentiment." Britain spoke a little too quickly for me to accept his words at face value.

 _What he really means is "thanks for caring, but I'm too tsundere and proud to say thanks aloud"._ I found that Britain was one of the easiest people to understand, especially since I managed to read up on the wikia profiles of a lot of the Hetalia characters on my phone a few days ago, due to how much spare time I had in the past week. That information combined with my own observations made most people in Hetalia pretty easy to read.

 _Then again, I've been told I'm more perceptive than most people._ All I knew was that it wasn't that hard to understand what these personified nations were like, and I almost felt like I knew these people as much as I knew my own best friends.

"Why, Britain! You would not happen to be trying to take this beautiful lady's attention all for yourself! Would you?" France came over with a flirtatious smile as he strolled over to us.

"What?! I'll have you know, unlike you, I can actually hold a conversation with a lady without having foul intentions for her!" Britain shouted back, as France came within his personal bubble space.

"There is no need to be ashamed! Big brother France is just glad that he taught you so well!" France continued despite the obvious fume I saw coming Britain.

 _Can I roast marshmallows on that smoke?_ I thought randomly, as I watched Britain literately steam with anger.

"You filthy pervert, I-" Whatever Britain was saying was immediately stopped when all the rooms occupants, including myself, heard an unexpected noise.

 _Oh crap, that's me! That's my phone! NOOO!_ I didn't question why my phone was vibrating, but I quickly pulled it out from my coat pocket.

"What is that, dude? It looks cool!" America questioned, and I was left speechless.

 _Make it up! Cover it up! Do something!_ I ordered myself, and my mouth opened to reply to America.

"Um, you see-" I stopped when suddenly the earth shook and there was a large popping sound. I quickly shoved my phone back in its place since everyone's attention was diverted by the noise.

"Is this an earthquake?" I questioned, a little worried. I couldn't be blamed for my fear as I had never felt a serious earthquake before, since I lived in stable Ohio, and the sole earthquake I had ever felt in Cincinnati had been about a one or two on the Richter scale, and lasted for only a couple of minutes.

"If it is, I will blame America if my clothes are ruined!" France shouted.

"Dude, this isn't me!" America yelled defensively.

"A-Actually, this feels familiar." Canada spoke up.

"I agree. This feels exactly as it did a week ago when May arrived here." Britain suddenly spoke up with an odd look in his eyes.

"You're right! This is what happened right before that shiny light came and I had to rescue you dudes!" America agreed in his own way.

"For the last time, it wasn't an attack!" Britain shouted. Then a sudden boom resounded in the room, and then there was a blue light that appeared.

 _Blue, bright blue._

 _You're falling._

 _Ocean._

 _"Bezzzz okay. Do not worryzzzZZZ." Falling into a blue sea._

 _Stay calm and won't hurt._

 _"Are youZZZZZzzzz."_

I heard the sounds in my head as if they were my own thoughts, but then they were gone within seconds.

"What is that?!" Britain shouted, staring at something I had yet to notice.

 _Is that a mini black hole?!_ Everyone stared at the small portal that had formed in the room. Said portal was bright blue, no larger than a small window, and swirled as if it was in constant motion.

"Is this what brought me here?" I asked to no one in particular, observing the portal with wide eyes.

"Does that mean you can go home?" Canada asked me, and I was caught off guard by the idea that this crazy trip might be over. I had obviously been expecting to somehow find my way back home, but it had never occurred to me that I could leave so soon. In fact, I had been mentally preparing myself for days about the idea that I might find myself in Hetalia for months or years.

 _I can go home._

"Only one way to see." I stated in a daze. Then I walked up to the portal, its the bright light near blinding since all the lighting in the room had went off when the portal formed. I wasn't really paying attention to the others in the room, but I could tell they had been startled into a frozen silence somewhere behind me.

Y _ou have to risk it! Don't you want to go home?_ I wasn't sure what would happen, but despite the warning yell from Britain, I threw my hand forward towards the portal with my breath held in anticipation.

 _This-this is solid!_ My hand hit what felt like a solid object, sort of like a thick glass panel, and it couldn't move through the portal despite the pressure I applied. I tried to push harder on the solid portal, but it didn't budge a single inch.

"I can't put my hand through it." I was confused and disappointed, since I had thought that I might be able to go through it and get home.

 _It was too good to be true and you know it._ It was unlikely, I knew, but a part me dared to hope, just to meet disappointment.

"Dudes, something is happening." America grabbed my arm and pulled me back when the portal started to shine much more brightly, and the amount of light soon reached a point where I had to squint in order not to go blind.

 _It's worse than the sun!_ Yet as soon as the light reached a peak, it tampered down until we could all open our eyes again.

"What is happening?" France and the rest of us were startled when the center of the portal started to fade from its bright blue coloring, and turned into a mixture of black and white.

 _It's like a blobby image is forming._ The black and white swirls started to solidify until I could make out larger shapes in the portal.

"It kind of looks like a freaky picture." America was right as the black, white, and shades of gray solidified more until I could make out a blurry image.

"Who is that?" I wasn't sure who spoke, since my entire attention was captured by the person whose image was being shown in the portal.

"Can't you tell?" I asked in a soft voice of wonder. "That's me!" I shouted aloud as I recognized the blurry black and white image to be me, in a place I remembered pretty vividly. Though I didn't get a chance to say anymore when the picture started to move like it was an old black and white film.

 _May walked past the forest and entered a parking lot that had one or two cars. Due to the poor image quality, not much could be seen around May except for the vacant parking lot that was near a thin forest._

 _"I don't know why I agreed to tutor that poor girl! She needs more help in math than all the idiots in high school." May was talking to herself when she pinched the bridge of her nose out of frustration. She was dressed in a dark colored shirt with a a lighter colored, short sleeve jacket on top. She also wore a surfer styled necklace, with three fake shark teeth hanging off the black necklace. May's hair was out, but it much more wavy and darker colored than in modern day. The hair style was also much different since she had no curled bangs or straightened hair._

 _May suddenly stopped walking when a large, explosive noise rang out and caused her to look up._

 _"Wow, I almost forgot it was the Fourth of July!" May stared up at the bright spectacle of fireworks bursting in the air. May loved watching fireworks, since they were so rare for her to see, and she always found the sight of them to be a real treat._

 _I should probably get home though. I can watch the fireworks there. May sighed to herself, reluctantly pulling herself away from the sight, and she started to walk over towards her car. It wasn't a new car, probably one made before the 2010s, but it worked and that's all she cared about._

 _Then the image of May blurred, like a puddle would when a rain drop falls in it, until the black and white image faded all together and was replaced by bright blue._

We all stood close to the now blue light, staring at the portal which had just shown us all a memory that I knew had happened about a month before I had left for college.

"Can anyone explain what just happened?" America asked, and I could feel everyone turn to stare at me. Though I didn't really look back at anyone, because I noticed the portal was still moving. In fact, the portal was rapidly shrinking until it disappeared completely, and then the lights came back on as electricity was restored.

"Okay... I have no idea what that portal was or how it got here, but that scene you just saw was something that happened in the past." I had all eyes on me as I spoke.

"I remember that it was the Fourth of July, and I had just left my student's home." I gained some confused looks from my statement so I clarified. "I was tutoring this girl in college math, and she begged me to help her that day, so I had drove up to her apartment despite it being a holiday." I explained the best I could.

"It was my birthday?" America seemed happy at the thought, and maybe even relieved.

"That was a past event in your life?" Britain questioned, obviously thinking hard.

"Yeah, but I have no idea how it came here... unless..." I wasn't sure, but I had a faint theory forming.

"Unless what?" Britain demanded, obviously just as disturbed by recent events as everyone else.

"Unless whatever or whoever transported me to this world has caused there to be a small rip in the fabric of space and time." I started off, causing the others to become more startled.

"That doesn't sound too good, dude." America voiced the others' opinions.

"Well it could be bad, but let me explain. If something has created a tear, then it's possible that my world and this world are more connected than they should be. And maybe because I am the person that was being transported when this tear was made, then you guys can see events in my world that involve _myself_ whenever these rips make appearances. Most likely the events you see will be from my past, assuming that I'm correct about the time and the world/space being messed up by this tear which was somehow created." I tried to make my theory as understandable as possible for minds of the 1940s.

"That might explain what happened to America and Britain when you got here." Canada shocked everyone by being the first one to speak up.

"What do you mean?" I asked, since I had been unconscious when I arrived in this world and unaware of anything that happened when I appeared.

"Well, I remember that when I found that portal you arrived in, both Britain and America were frozen. They wouldn't move or talk, and didn't respond when I tried to talk to them." Canada explained with a thoughtful expression, while he hugged his bear closer to himself.

"I don't remember that!" America shouted.

"Canada is right." Britain interjected. "I remember that America appeared to be unable respond when I found him, and then there was that blue light." Britain's voice trailed off as he tried to remember any other details about what transpired that day.

"If my theory is correct then it's possible that the tear in time had affected you guys." I brought the attention back to myself. "Maybe it caused time to move slower for a few minutes or maybe time outright stopped moving in that room as I entered this world, due to time being broken in order for me to be transported." I responded, starting to believe my theory a little more with this new information.

"Is it possible this could happen again?" France asked, unusually serious.

"If time and space has a rip in it, then it is possible that this portal stuff could happen at any time." I concluded confidently. "But if its only these tiny portals popping up, I don't think you guys should really worry about this tear in time and space." I reassured, causing the nations to sigh in relief.

"So you're saying that this freaky stuff could happen at random!" America still sounded a little freaked out by the thought.

"Maybe there is a certain logic or rhythm to them appearing, but unless it happens again, I have no idea what that pattern could be." I sighed, as this time/space mess started to make my head spin.

"I guess I can look into my spell books to see if they mention something like this." Britain turned to me, and I could see he was serious.

 _I almost forgot he was looking for a way to bring me home. Though I think a physics book would be more helpful... or Einstein himself considering he is alive during this time period._

"I guess that's the best anyone of us can do." I broke the thoughtful silence that had come over us.

"If that's the case, I think it's time we packed up and go! Freaky stuff or not, I'm still starving!" America shouted, causing the tension to break as I near face palmed from his blunt statement.

 _Maybe it's not this world that's crazy. Maybe it's just the people._ I thought as America acted oblivious to the mood of the room, and all other occupants stared at him with a combination of irritation and exasperation.

 _Yup, it's defiantly the people._

* * *

The drive home was uneventful, which I welcomed considering how hectic the day had been. I and America had arrived home safely, though the sun had set by the time we reached America's house, so it was much colder outside than it had been earlier.

Once we arrived at the house, America rushed from the car to return to the warmth that awaited him in his home, while I walked a little behind him.

 _Nothing really makes sense. Even if my theory was right, it doesn't explain the first question. How did I get sent to this world in the first place?_ I had a lot on my mind while I walked up the door steps and pulled open the front door, which America had left unlocked for me. Though I barely noticed them, there were some flurries of snow starting to come down from the milky white sky, and I suspected there might be snow and frost covering the ground by tomorrow.

"Meow." I froze at the sudden sound, and glanced around to detect the source.

 _Am I hearing things?_

"Meeoow." The sound came from behind me, so I swiveled around to see a cat sitting on the door steps.

 _Hey, that color of fur looks familiar... Didn't I see a glimpse of this cat earlier this morning?_ I found it strange that some random cat was hanging around America's house, and I prepared to just close the door, despite how bad I felt about leaving the animal out in the cold, when I got a strange feeling of familiarity.

 _Hold up. I've seen this cat in Hetalia before. Pale tan fur, light blue eyes, dark brown fur around the neck, and black lines under the eyes as if the cat is wearing glasses... America-cat?!_ I was sure of the cat's identity as I stared at the cat sitting there, and it stared back at me with expectant eyes.

"Meow-meow!" The cat meowed more loudly again, and I suddenly noticed the cat was shivering.

 _I'm not sure if I should let him in, but he's got those cute little paws and those pretty eyes and- Yup, I can't resist the kawaii!_ My heart was all for letting America-cat in, but the logical part of my mind needed a stronger reason than cuteness.

 _Besides, this is technically America's house and this is another representation of America._ After satisfying the logical part of me, I opened the door a little wider and the cat ran in without hesitation.

"I'm not so sure America knows about you or any other country knows about you guys." I spoke to the cat who didn't glance in my direction as he strode in, but I had a feeling America-cat might of understood me as he followed my lead without meowing.

 _I hope America's not upstairs._ I lead the cat upstairs and I hurried up to my room, while making sure the feline hadn't fallen behind.

"Come on in." I said to America-cat, who immediately ran into my room and then stilled once he was a few feet in.

"It's nice and warm compared to the outside, huh?" I watched America-cat look around the room before nearing the side of my bed, taking a giant leap onto my bed, and then laying down on the covers.

"You take this mi casa es tu casa, way too seriously." I stated blankly.

"Meow." America-cat replied in his own way, stretching his back and sprawling his legs out like he owned the place.

 _Can this day get any weirder? Meeting all the Allies, seeing random portals, and now America-cat is sitting on my bed! Like what happened to my life?!_ I pinched the bridge of my nose out of a growing sense of stress.

"HEY, MAY! DINNER IS SERVED, DUDE!" America's shout startled me, and even America-cat looked up at the voice.

 _I guess I am a little hungry. I just hope he finally has something other than burgers and fries._ I hurried out of my room and down the staircase to see what awaited me at the dinner table.

"Sooo, you are capable of serving something other than burgers." I spoke teasingly as I was pleasantly surprised to see fried chicken along with French fries at the dinner table.

"MmOfmmCourffffse!" America tried to reply to me with his mouth stuffed with food.

"Unless you want a chicken bone lodged in your throat, it's probably not a good idea to eat and speak." I told America as I happily sat down and started to much on a fried chicken wing.

 _Goodness, I'm being spoiled with all this stereotypical American food!_ _My parents never made fried chicken often enough!_ The amount of unhealthy, but tasty food I ate didn't increase when I got to college either, considering how my college had a farm on campus where they gathered most of the ingredients for their meals.

 _I know it's unhealthy, but I miss getting fast food when I wanted._ There weren't nearly as many fast food places near my college, considering it was in a town instead of a city, as there were in Cincinnati.

 _Almost makes me miss the dang place. Allllmost._

"May! Aren't you listening?" America shouted, startling me.

"Sorry, what?" I asked after I appropriately swallowed my food.

"I asked you what you thought about the food." America spoke at a lower volume.

"Oh, it's great as always, America." I said with genuine cheer. I expected him to agree with me, so I was a little unprepared for what he said next.

"I haven't been home lately." America mentioned out of the blue.

 _Where did that come from?_

"I know it probably hasn't been easy being here, especially alone." America began with a sigh, as he looked at me with a serious expression.

"It hasn't been too hard. I've got plenty of things to keep me busy." I replied, still thrown off by the sudden conversation topic.

"Yeah, but it must be hard being so far from home." America continued, though I couldn't figure out if he sounded guilty or frustrated.

"Well, if you recall, I was expecting to be far from home before all this mess started since I was traveling to another country for my internship." I tried to pacify him.

"Still, it's a little different, don't you think?" America continued, looking at me with a searching gaze.

"Hey, I get what you mean, and I'd be lying if I said it was extremely easy accepting all that's happened recently, but I'm alright. I can deal with it." I reassured him, making sure my tone didn't waver.

"...I know you are, dude... But I just wanted to let you know that even though I'm not here often, I'm always willing to listen if you want to talk!" America spoke confidently, the seriousness leaving him as a smile planted itself on his face.

"Thanks." I didn't know what else to say as America's mood did a 360 degree turn. However, after saying his part, America seemed to pretend that his mood had never shifted.

"Anyway, dude, it's getting late! I'm turning in, and you should do the same!" America said with a yawn, as he put away his plate.

"Yeah, I think it's been a long day for both of us." I agreed as I felt how weary I had become, both mentally and physically.

"Goodnight, May!" America shouted back as he walked up the staircase, and left me at the table.

"Night!" I shouted in reply, while putting away my dishes in the sink.

 _I don't think I've been this tired all week._ I thought as I let out a long yawn on my way up the staircase. It had been a while since I felt like I could actually sleep in, and not awaken early in the morning to practice and keep myself in shape.

 _Maybe if I'm lucky I won't even have those odd dreams._ I opened my bedroom door, and headed towards the welcoming bed.

"Meoow." America-cat greeted me and I nearly jumped back since I had forgotten all about him. No longer relaxing, America-cat was on the bed and playing with some sort of ball of yarn, which I hadn't seen before, but he stopped when I started to lift up the bed covers.

"So, you going to stay here all night?" I asked the cat lazily as I lied down and pulled the covers around me.

"Meow-meow!" America-cat seemed to have given me a "yes" as he let the yarn ball roll off the bed before walking over to my arm, and curling up beside it.

"Goodnight, America-cat." I said as I gave him a soft pat on his head while he closed his eyes.

 _Maybe I can just not think at all tonight... Think about nothing... at all..._ I closed my eyes as the weight of today's experience drained me of consciousness, and after one whole week, I slept without a single dream.

* * *

"Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is its **current** ; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes its place, and this too will be swept away." ~Marcus Aurelius

* * *

 **Thanks for reading everybody! On a side note, YAAAAYYYY! We got America-cat in this fanfic!**

 **Anyway, please leave some** _**R**_ ** _eviews_ since they are my main inspiration for writing! Though following and favoriting this story is great too!**

 **Until next time, byes!**


	7. Chapter 7: As the Snow Falls

**First of all, thank you readers for following (we reached 30!), favoriting (nearing the 30s), and reviewing (so close to 30s) last chapter! Though I apologize for taking nearly three weeks to update, know that I had tons of fun writing this chapter, and I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

 **Also, this chapter once again has a combination of the English sub and dub, and the speech that appears depended on which version I liked more.**

 **So please enjoy and _Review_!**

 **Disclaimer: Do I own Hetalia? ...Is this a trick question? ...No, it isn't? Oh, well I think I'm going have to say no.**

* * *

 **Waste** (also known as Loss) **:** A broad and empty expanse (as of water)

* * *

I took a sip of my lemonade while I read the latest issue of the Batman comic book series, which America had kindly lent me.

"Ugh... Am I Catholic or Protestant? God, I don't know." Britain muttered to himself, slumped on the right side of America at the bar. I, on the other hand, was on the left side of America at the bar.

"Excuse me, but is he okay?" The concerned bar tender questioned America, who was still very sober despite the fact that he had been drinking for over three hours.

 _This is actually pretty good for a 1940s comic. I wonder why so many people don't care about the old comics in my time period._

"He always gets like this when he starts drinking." America explained with a knowing finger raised and a pleasant expression. However, his words unknowingly sparked anger in the somewhat docile nation who overheard him.

"You don't know me! I'm United bloody Kingdom and I can hold my liquor better than you any day!" Britain interjected, with his heavily slurred words . It was obvious that his mental process was being inhibited by the alcohol, even though he had stopped drinking after only forty minutes.

"Dude, calm down!" America shouted back, startled by Britain's sudden hostility.

 _Cliche, but still a good read._ I thought to myself when I flipped to the next page of the comic.

"Shut up! I pitied you for being France's lackey so I rescued you! I thought maybe we could be friends and bond over our mutual hatred for France, but nuh uh!" Britain started his rant. "You didn't want to be friends with me! You just wanted to tell me not to tell you what to do and you didn't know what to do anyway! I think that's diabolic!" Britain shouted hysterically, flailing his arms everywhere before he suddenly dropped his head on the counter and sobbed loudly. America stared at him like he was insane and the bar tender stood nervously near them before backing away from the scene.

"Is this normal?" The bar tender questioned, having backed away towards me. I didn't look up from reading as I supplied, "Random yelling about historical events that happened before you and me were born? ...It's just another Tuesday... Just another typical Tuesday." I explained, finishing off the rest of my lemonade.

"Right..." The bar tender muttered before wandering farther from all three of us, while staring at us with a look that clearly said he wished he hadn't worked tonight. I didn't blame him since it was pretty late into the night, so the few customers that had been in the bar earlier had left over an hour ago, so only I, America, and Britain were left in the bar.

"Maybe we should just go." America told me, while Britain continued throwing a fit beside him.

" _You're_ going to tell him that, right?" I asked America with a raised eyebrow, finally looking up from my reading.

 _I ain't going nowhere near Mr. Plastered right now._ I went back to reading my comic, while ignoring the fact that a beer cup was chucked at America, only to sorely miss him and fly over my head.

 _I should be worried that I'm getting used to the madness of this world._

"Seriously dude, you've had enough!" America tried to calm Britain down while the bar tender, who was thoroughly frightened, hid behind the counter and crouched low to avoid the objects Britain kept throwing in America's direction.

"You're not my friend!" Britain whined, tossing another beer glass at America. Once again it flew sharply over everyone's heads since Britain's dulled mind caused his movements to become uncoordinated .

 _As long as he doesn't throw chairs, it's all-_

Britain had stumbled off his seat during his self pity fest and knocked over his chair, then seeing the furniture as ammo, he threw said chair at America. Yet again, it harmlessly missed him, but it smashed into a wall instead, and I was mildly concerned to see it snap into pieces.

 _I thought angry drunks were bad, but it's really the depressed drunks you gotta watch out for._

"I'll pay for that," America told the terrified bar tender before going near Britain and announcing, "We're leaving!" America then made a grab for Britain, who was still worked up and sobbing in the corner of the room he fell in.

"No, I don't wanna go with you! Get off of me!" Britain shouted, swinging sloppily in America's direction. From the way he swung though, it was obvious he was seeing at least three Americas, and he was aiming for the wrong one.

"Off of me!" Britain shouted, as America dragged him by the arm and started to pull him away from the bar. Britain continued to try to punch America, but even when his hits actually landed, they did little to effect America.

"Thanks for staying open so late, dude!" America told the bar tender, who shakily rose up from his hiding spot.

"N-No problem." The man was attempting to sound unconcerned, but the way he flinched as America paid him back for the chair and drinks, while tugging Britain over, showed that the man was still terrified.

"Uh, America? You might want to watch-" Britain used his free arm to grab a small table, and he lifted it above himself before he smacked America over the head with it.

"Huh, what?" America questioned my wide eyed expression after the table split apart on his head. Even though I knew America could take more damage than most people, I still found it odd how he seemed unaware that he had been hit, as if a pillow had landed on him.

"Never mind." I muttered, as I followed America's lead out of the bar.

 _I got a feeling we just traumatized that poor man._ I looked back at the bar tender who watched us as if we were the most terrifying creatures in the world.

 _Britain's throwing a tantrum while yelling about events that happened centuries ago, America got hit over the head with a thick table without being severely injured, and I'm a woman wearing pants... We probably do look pretty strange._

"Don't treat me like a child, I'm your bloody elder! Hate you!" Britain continued to ramble while America dragged him over to his car and tried to coax him into the back seat.

"Dude, you're drunk!" America tried to explain, attempting to shove Britain into the back seats. Yet Britain wasn't making it easy as he clung on for dear life to the car's door frame, and continued to shout more slurred insults at America.

"I don't think you're method is working." I commented as America continued to try to push Britain into the back.

"He's usually knocked out by this time, so I'm not used to this!" America continued to try and pry Britain's hands off the frame and push him into the seats at the same time. I could tell America was trying not to use too much force though, because if he did then Britain would probably have gone flying through the car door and into the next state. Watching this tug of war scene for a few moments, I soon noticed America was starting to shiver from the cold winter air, and I took pity on him.

"Don't worry, I gots this." I explained to America while pulling his hands away from Britain.

"Are you sure?!" America asked me, watching Britain cautiously as he stumbled forward from the sudden loss of pressure, which America had been applying on him.

"Britain." I said simply, as I approached him, causing him to turn to me. I could tell Britain wasn't too sure who I was in his state as he squinted his eyes at me in an attempt to see me better.

"Who are you?! What's wrong with your hair?!" Britain shouted, getting worked up again.

"Dude-"

I rushed up to Britain, grabbed the sides of his face, and gave him a quick peck on his forehead before pulling back. Thus Britain froze up, and he stared at me with his mouth agape since my kiss interrupted him mid-rant.

"..." Britain continued to stare at me and almost appeared to have stopped breathing due to what I assumed was shock.

"My job is done. Put him in the back." I told a wide eyed America while I moved away, opened the front car door, and took a seat up front. I could tell America was also staring at me in shock before he managed to overcome it. Then he grabbed Britain and gave him a light shove in the back. Britain didn't protest and he silently allowed himself to tumble into the back seats.

"How did you do that?!" America asked me the second he got into the driver's seat.

 _With thou magical woman powers that were granted to ye on thy day of birth._

"Kill them with kindness they say." I explained with a shrug.

"You're amazing, dude!" America exclaimed as he started the car, glad to be out of the cold. I admitted to myself how I found it a little worrying that I had watched America down three hours worth of beer and he was now the one behind the steering wheel.

 _But he doesn't seem drunk at all. Maybe he just has a really fast metabolism like Captain America._ It would explain why America was always hungry, didn't gain weight despite the massive amount of food he ate, and how it clearly took a lot for him just to get buzzed.

 _It's too dang late to question Hetalia logic._ Since the bar wasn't at all that far from Britain's hotel, America made it there within a matter of minutes.

"I don't think we can just drop him off." I stated, probably sweat dropping as I watched Britain walk into the hotel door twice, fumble with the door handle, and then push on it despite there being a large sign on the window which read as "pull".

"Come on, dude! I don't want be here all night!" America whined, impatient as always.

"Fine, I'll do it." I told America as I pushed opened my car door and got out. I heard America shout something at me, probably a protest, but it was muffled out when I threw the car door close.

"Need a hand?" I asked Britain, as I tugged open the door and gestured Britain inside. Yet Britain didn't reply, only stared at me for a second before stumbling through the door, and I followed him in.

"What floor are you on?" I asked Britain, who looked lost while he stared at the hotel lobby as if he were seeing it for the first time. Once more, Britain provided no verbal feedback, but started to make his way towards the staircase. I wasn't sure he remembered I was beside him as he swayed side to side and somehow made it up the to the third floor. Along the way, I didn't say anything, but I stood closely beside him in case he started to fall.

 _I can't believe America actually wanted to leave him alone in this state._ Now upstairs, I watched Britain walk up to one of the hotel doors before spinning around and heading towards another one.

 _Twirl, Angelina Ballerina, twirl!_ The old British cartoon show, which I watched as a child, came to mind as I watched Britain go up to three more wrong doors until he finally slumped against what was hopefully the right one.

"Let me do it." Britain had been attempting to insert the key into the wall beside the hotel door before I snatched the keys from him. Still Britain remained eerily silent while I inserted the key into its proper place and gently pushed in the door.

"You going to be okay by yourse..." My voice trailed off as I saw Britain slumping against the wall outside his room.

 _No, no he isn't._ I grabbed Britain by the shoulder and tugged him inside the room before depositing him onto the bed.

"Lay down and get some rest." I told him, doubting he understood me as I placed a pillow under his head. I then turned to leave, but he suddenly sat up, caught my wrist, and pulled me down to sit beside him.

"Nobody likes me! All those wankers don't like me!" Britain shouted, back to his hysterical self as he clung to me and sobbed into the crook of my neck.

 _Please don't tell me I gotta give him another kiss. Male version of Sleeping Beauty is not my type!_ Britain continued to rant on my shoulder and I let him have a good cry for a few minutes.

"There, there, Britain?" I wasn't quiet sure what to say or do as Britain continued to sob, so I awkwardly patted his head. I was starting to get worried America was going to come up after me if I didn't leave soon when Britain abruptly stopped his hysterics.

"I was a bad big brother, that is why he hates me! Why he hurt me!" Britain complained, but the hysteric tone was dampened in his voice, and I was unnerved by how sober he looked when he shouted his woes at me.

"America doesn't hate you, Britain..." I spoke softly. "And you weren't a bad big brother; you were great." I tried to comfort him, speaking honestly.

"No, you're wrong! I was bad! ...That's why he left me." Britain mumbled as he started to slide off of me and slump onto the bed.

"No, Britain. America never left you... You let him leave." I explained calmly, but seriously as I helped Britain get the rest of himself onto the bed. Britain's eyes were half shut as I pushed him up further until his head was back under a pillow. Once again, I turned away to leave when his voice stopped me.

"...Why did I let him leave?" Britain muttered quietly with bitterness, his eyes sharper than they had been since he took his first drink hours ago.

"Simple. Like I said, Britain, you were a great big brother... and an even better parent." I spoke with a subtle certainty and looked away from his sharp gaze.

 _And even if they don't want to, every great parent knows when it's time to let their child go._ Britain said nothing more as I walked out the hotel room and closed the door behind me.

 _I'm sorry, Britain._ I remained passive all the way down the staircase, out the hotel door, and back into America's car.

"I was totally about to come in! What took you so long?!" America asked me the second I took a seat.

"You try getting a drunk Britain to stop waking into walls and you'll understand." I told him simply, allowing humor to slip into my voice.

"Figured it was something like that!" America laughed, and I smiled back at him.

I didn't want him to know that a grimace was right behind my smiling lips.

* * *

"Meow-meow!" America-cat pounced on the large, red ball I had tossed back to him. However, it was too large for him to capture underneath himself, so he ended up laying on top of it with his limbs hanging off the sides.

"I'm surprised you're not falling off." I told America-cat, who happily stayed still on the ball, so that it wouldn't roll and make him slip off. He basically treated the ball as if it were a large chair he could lay on as long as he was completely still.

 _Seems even America can get tired eventually._ We had been tossing the ball back and forth to each other for nearly an hour, with America-cat chasing after the ball and knocking it back with all his strength so it would fly over my head like it was a football match. To him, I figured, it probably was the cat version of the sport.

Yet both of us were startled out of our reverie when a sudden bang echoed in the house as if a door had slammed open. The unexpected noise caused America-cat to twitch and slip off the ball, but he easily landed on his feet without a sound. Though once he touched the ground, he jetted out of my room and headed to a destination that was unknown to myself.

 _What a strange fur ball that cat is._

"DUDE, YOU AWAKE?!" America called out, causing me to jump up from my position on the bedroom floor. I had been pretty much sprawled out on the ground, because I found the soft carpet a nice place to lay on _(don't judge my weirdness)_ , but now I had pulled myself up. Thus I quickly excited my bedroom, walked over to the railing, and gazed down at the first floor from the top of the staircase.

"America? What are you doing back so early?" I called out once I spotted the familiar nation.

"It's lunch time, and I gotta a hour to kill!" America responded, and I noticed that he was carrying quiet a few burgers in his arms.

"You usually don't come back home for lunch." I explained my confusion, as I walked down the stairs to meet him.

"Yeah, well, I kind of forgot some of my battle plans on the kitchen counter." America explained. Despite the pile of food he was carrying, he somehow managed to pick up the stack of papers he had accidentally left on the breakfast table.

 _He's a bit of a scatterbrain._ I became lost in thought from the unexpected appearance of America until I suddenly recalled something.

"So how was Britain holding up today?" I questioned after thinking about the prior night's fiasco.

"Huh? I don't know; he didn't show up for today's meeting." America replied after chowing down on a few hamburgers.

 _He doesn't even sound too concerned... I wonder if Britain's feeling alright._ I was sure that Britain's hangover was probably rough for him, but I doubted it was bad enough for him to miss an entire meeting.

 _Maybe I should check up on him... But I don't know how to use that old fashioned telephone America has and I'm not sure what Britain's number is anyway._ I figured the only way I could check on Britain was if I went to the Allies meeting myself.

"Can I go back with you?" I asked America when he started to walk out the door, with his recovered battle plans now tucked under his sole free arm.

"Mm? Youfff wumph...come?" America had a burger in his mouth when he replied.

 _If I remember correctly, Britain should be at the meeting eventually, but I'm not sure when he'll show up._ I concluded my thoughts before answering.

"If you just asked if I want to join you at the meeting, then the answer is yes." I replied, trying to hold back from showing how much his eating habit disturbed me.

 _Didn't anyone ever teach him it's not to polite to talk with your mouth full? My parents did, and surely Britain did too._

"Sure thing, dude! I just wasn't expecting you to ask!" America replied with his usual jovial attitude. It was true that I never actually requested to attend any of the Allies meetings, and I had told America that I wouldn't attend anymore unless they were out of the country, considering I didn't want to be left alone in the house for too long and America also seemed not to want to leave me alone for too long. Therefore I hadn't attended a single meeting since the first time I met the other Allies, which had happened nearly three weeks ago.

"I need to set up my battle plans, so let's get there early." America continued on as we both headed to the car. I was mildly surprised as I walked into the snowy world outside to find that even with my thick coat on, I had the urge to shiver. America also felt the same, maybe even more so, since he practically ran into the car and encouraged me to hurry inside.

 _I can see my breath._ I observed the smoky puff leave me while America rushed to start the car and hurried to pull onto the road, probably eager to return to the warmth of the meeting room.

"Aw man, why does it have to snow so hard?! I'm cold enough!" America complained, glaring at the large snowflakes that were falling towards the road. The snowflakes seemed to be coming down pretty hard and when I looked up at the sky, I noted that the sun was being hidden by the large, pure white clouds which blanketed the entire sky.

"Seems we might be in for a snow storm." I muttered, still a little caught off guard by the weather. Since it was the end of January, I had assumed winter was near its end, yet Mother Nature seemed determined to prove me incorrect.

"I should of brought an extra coat!" America whined. "Let's hurry inside!" America parked the car in front of the familiar meeting building, paused for a second in his seat, and then shot out the car like a rocket.

"I HATE WINTERRRR!" America's shout trailed off as he fled into the building, and he didn't even bother to close his door during his haste.

 _Dude would win the track part of the Olympics so quick if you put a cold breeze behind him... He might even beat Italy with escaping-freezing-cold-weather as an incentive._

I closed America's door and my own before taking my time to enter the building, though I did pick up the pace when a sudden winter breeze nicked my exposed face.

 _I doubt he waited for me._ I sighed a little as I leisurely found the staircase and started to walk up. I hadn't been in the building for the past three weeks, so I was a little uncertain if I was heading in the right direction. It wasn't until I heard familiar shouting that I became certain that I was heading the right way.

 _Just follow the yelling brick road and I'll find the room._ I slowly walked up to the hallway I recalled seeing on my prior visit, and then I walked into the area that was the source of the raised voices.

"Why won't the light just shut up. I swear I'm never going to drink again. Someone please kill me." I heard the familiar pained voice whisper to their self. Fully striding in, I found that Britain was huddled under a dark green blanket, obviously in an attempt to protect his eyes from the bright lighting of the room.

 _Oh, I remember this._ The strangest part about walking into this scene from Hetalia, was realizing that it was probably the first episode of Hetalia which I had ever watched. I still recalled how my interest had been piqued by the anime after watching a clip from this episode, and I had been a fan ever since.

 _Never expected to see it up close and personal._

"What's that?" America asked, pointing to Britain and obviously not recognizing him.

"Britain." France replied, sounding slightly irritated.

"It is?! Yo Britain! What are you doing under there, dude?!" America asked in a booming voice. Without preamble, Britain withered under the blanket.

"Shut up, you idiot!" Britain whisper yelled, his hangover making America's voice grate on his nerves even more than usual.

"Get this drunkard out of here! His unfashionable appearance is making it hard to concentrate!" France shouted dramatically, not caring that the volume of his voice made Britain squirm under the blanket.

"Shut up, France!" Britain hissed from under the blanket, though his usual vehemence was toned down because of the hangover's effect on him.

"Jeez, you guys really show no mercy to people with hangovers." I commented, drawing attention to myself.

"Ah, May!" France's mood shifted into a much more upbeat one when he spotted me. "Now _you_ can stay. Even if you are a distraction, you are one I can appreciate." France winked at me, a rose appearing in his hand as he turned to me.

"You're very fortunate America ate all his burgers at home." I stated plainly, disregarding the fact that my words caused the rose to wilt and for shadows to appear over France for a moment as he became dejected.

"You wound me, but your love will be worth it!" France recovered quickly, and continued on with the dramatics. I had a feeling as I watched pink bubbles appear behind France that however long I was in Hetalia, France would never be willing to give up on me.

 _I'll give him one thing, he's persistent... But I'll also give him a nice kick in the face if he doesn't quit already._

"Get that freaky rag thing off of you, dude!" America regained the entire room's attention. "How are you going to see my totally amazing plans if that thing's in your face?!" America shouted at Britain, moving towards him.

"Are you out of your bloody-" Britain's protest was cut off when America yanked the blanket off of him.

"AHHH!" Britain cried out, quickly covering his eyes and curling into himself.

"Oh my... May the force be with us." I muttered, slightly aghast by Britain's disheveled appearance.

"Whoa, dude! You look like sh-( _beep)_!" America exclaimed, and I swiveled towards him to make sure my ears had heard correctly.

 _Did America just get beeped before he could curse?!_ America didn't seem to have heard the noise as he continued to stare at Britain.

"He looks even worse than usual?! I did not think this was possible!" France shouted, also disturbed by Britain's appearance. France's reaction was over dramatic, but I definitely knew where he was coming from. Britain looked absolutely terrible. His eyes had dark bags under them, his army clothes were on backwards, and his hair was wilder than normal. When I drew near him, I also noticed that he was very pale and reeked of a terrible, pungent smell.

 _I thought it was bad when he was drunk, but his hangover seems worse._

"You need a doctor or something?" I asked Britain with mild concern, watching him pull himself up with the aide of the meeting table.

"No! I-I'm perfectly fine!" Britain tried to speak with conviction, but the fact that he wobbled where he stood disproved his words.

"Somebody get him out! He is clearly unfit today!" France shouted, his tone mainly conveying disgust, but I wondered if there was a spot of worry in his eyes.

"You stupid French! I am capable of attending... this..." Britain tried to yell at France, but then his face started to turn a sickly green.

"What-" Britain ignored America, and rushed out of the room with his hands over his mouth.

"I can't believe I have to say this, but France is right. That guy needs to go back to bed." I admitted, feeling a little sorry for Britain.

"Yes of course! Did you not know I am always fabulously right?" France gloated, pleased with my agreement.

"Wonderful. So you wouldn't mind taking him home before the rest of the Allies get back." I suggested with a light smirk as I waited for his reaction.

"Quoi?! Non! I won't let that stinking drunk anywhere near my precious vehicle!" France exclaimed, horror written on his face from just the thought.

"That is a relief since I don't plan on going anywhere." Britain spoke up from the doorway. He was leaning on the door frame, but straightened up when we all turned to stare at him.

"You can't stay here, dude! What if you get sick on my plans?!" America clutched his stack of paper closer to himself, as if to protect it.

"Don't be such a fool; I'm perfectly healthy." Britain shouted, irritated and dismissive with the suggestion.

"Seriously, Britain. Maybe you should go-"

 _Ring-ring!_

"Someone is calling?" France seemed confused by the sudden noise coming from the phone.

 _When did this room get a phone?_ I questioned, staring at the 1940s styled phone that was on the table.

"I got it!" America shouted, grabbing the phone off its place. Then he said into it, "What's up, dude?"

 _Totally normal way to greet people in the 1940s... Totally..._

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN CANCEL THE MEETING?!" America exclaimed, causing me and France to jump back and cover our ears. Poor Britain gave a shout and collapsed on the ground with his head ringing.

"BUT ITS MY TURN TO TELL MY AWESOME PLANS!" America whined, then paused to hear a response. "HEY, DON'T HANG UP!" America continued to shout, scowling at the phone. A second later, he tossed the phone back at the receiver and glared at it.

"What was that all about?" I asked, my head still ringing from his shouting.

"Stupid Russia complained that he can't come to the rest of the meeting because of all the snow." America muttered while pouting.

"That's ironic." I said, thinking about Russia's typical weather.

"That is all? There was no need to shout for all of that!" France yelled, irritated by the assault on his eardrums.

"No, it's not all!" America huffed. "China was with Russia and said he didn't want to come either because of the snow! Ugh, this isn't fair!" America steamed on, still upset.

"So they want you to cancel the rest of the meeting due to the weather?" I asked, getting the picture.

"Yeah! And I don't want to! I bet the commie planned this so I couldn't show off my ideas!" America continued to complain.

"Unless he secretly has weather controlling powers, I doubt that." I reasonably added.

 _Besides, it's more likely General Winter abandoned Canada and decided to head south... He does that a lot in the 2010s._

"I still think it was his fault!" America declared, unaware that France was passing by him.

"If it really is storming outside, I shall not allow myself to get trapped in this building! I am going back to my hotel!" France claimed, tossing his hair behind his shoulder.

"No, dude! You can't!" America whined, as France continued to walk out the door. His pleas went unheard though as France did not even glance back at America.

"Guess we should leave too." I told America, once France completely disappeared from the hallway.

"Now no one will hear about my great plans and stuff and how I'm going be the hero!" America started to rant again, on his way to throwing a miniature tantrum.

"Don't worry, it's only temporary. I'm sure you can tell everyone about it soon." I reassured him, giving him a pat on the shoulder when I noticed the black cloud floating over his head.

 _Still freaky looking anime effects._

"I guess." America still seemed to be deflated as he admitted defeat.

"Ugh, no one wants to hear your stupid plans anyhow." Britain muttered from underneath the blanket he had crawled back under.

"How are you getting home, Britain?" I asked, concerned about him making it home before the storm intensified.

"I drove here... I'll drive back." Britain muttered, raising the blanket so his face was uncovered. He was now wearing the blanket more like a cloak as he wobbled next to us.

 _A moment of silence for all the trees, stop signs, and other objects that met their faithful end when Britain swerved into them earlier._

"Are you serious? You look like you can barely see two feet in front of you!" I tried to reason with Britain.

"What are trying to say?" Britain took offense.

"You're totally smashed, dude! You should call a taxi!" America agreed with me.

"I don't need a taxi! I can drive just fine!" Britain tried to defend himself.

"Oh yeah, how many fingers am I holding up?" I asked, standing back a decent distance and holding up four fingers. Britain squinted at my hand and struggled to focus his eyes on my fingers.

"T-three... Two?" Britain muttered.

"No way in heck you're driving." I told him with a stern tone and final judgement.

"You can't tell me what to do!" Britain shouted, fire in his eyes.

"Funny, I think I just did. You're not driving, you're coming with us." I grabbed Britain and yanked him forward.

"He is?!" America shouted, reluctant to obey my suggestion.

"His hotel is close to the house; it won't take long." I reassured him.

"I'm not going in his _American_ car!" Britain pulled out my grasp, just to stumble backwards until he somehow regained his balance.

"I don't want to deal with this limey again!" America shouted stubbornly.

"For real, America? Look at him! Do you really want to hear about twenty _Americans_ being ran over by some British dude before you regret not taking five _measly_ minutes to drop him off. Think about your people!" I was a little over the top with the dramatics, but with my every word, I saw a desired change occur in America. In a sudden silent motion, America took a heroic pose with fists on his hips and his face turned towards the sky. I even saw the American flag appear behind him as he shouted, "I, the hero, will totally save my people from this drunk dude!"

"For the love of- I'm not going anywhere with you!" Britain shouted, unperturbed by the showy display.

"Think again." I mumbled quietly, while America grabbed Britain by his coat and tossed him over his shoulder.

"To the outside!" America shouted, before rushing out of the room and heading down the stairs in a red, blue, and white blur.

 _Tune in next time for another episode of Eagleman and his partner/sidekick May..._ I followed America down the stairs, watching Britain struggle fruitlessly by pounding on his back. Yet Britain's struggle was pretty much ignored by America who had gone into I'm-the-hero! mode, and he refused to even acknowledge Britain's shouts.

"Put me down I say!" Britain shouted, though he looked like he was getting dizzy from the rough, bouncy trip on America's shoulder.

"Sure thing!" America announced as he walked outside and neared the car. Opening the back door, he readily complied with Britain and dropped him into the backseat.

 _I initiated a kidnapping... Cool, but I'm not putting this on my work resume... Unless I decide to join the mob business._ I hurried into the passenger seat to prevent Britain from having time to escape from the car.

"I'm the hero!" America cheered, revving the engine of the car and speeding off before Britain could reorient himself.

"How dare you do this to me!" Britain declared before shouting curses at us. He didn't say it with his usual energy however, which I figured was because he was still under the effects of a hangover.

 _You'll thank us later... Assuming we have a later_. Russia hadn't been kidding when he said the weather was bad, as I saw that the flurries from earlier had became a full out storm.

"Not a blizzard! This is so not cool!" America complained. I was worried by how fast America was pushing the car, considering I could tell he was having a hard time seeing the road with all the puffy snowflakes smacking into the window.

"Are you trying to get us killed, fool!" Britain himself voiced some concern as he saw the snow that had built up on the roads.

"Don't worry, it's fine!" America tried to tell us. At that moment, the Hetalia world decided to stick it to America, and the car made a sudden lurching noise before it started to slow down.

"What?!" America shouted as his car stopped obeying his command to move, and he barely managed to steer it to the side of the road before it stopped completely.

"Look what you did now! You ruined the engine!" Britain shouted from the back.

"Did you actually break this thing?" I asked America in a calmer tone.

"Actually, dudes... I forgot to refill the gas tank." America admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Britain immediately hit America on the top of head while insulting him.

I, on the other hand, decided it was time to have my first anime fall.

 _So many blonde jokes I could make right now._

* * *

"I refuse to drink that brown sludge!" Britain's shout disturbed me from my sleep.

 _Not again... and not this early_. I glanced at my phone to see it was only six in the morning. Unfortunately, it seemed both America and Britain were early birds while I remained the sole night owl. Normally, it wouldn't have bothered me to wake up so early, but I hadn't exactly gotten much sleep last night.

 _They've been arguing since they got stuck in here! I wouldn't be surprised if they argued in their sleep!_ I was fed up with hearing their shouting matches after having to submit to hearing them until twelve at night, and now early in the morning.

 _Coffee first, murder later._ I growled to myself, deciding to get up despite not having anywhere to go today.

"Mmww." America-cat made a strange sound in his sleep, but continued to sleep undisturbed and curled upon my bed.

 _That guy could sleep through an earthquake._ I was glad somebody could still sleep peacefully, so I ignored my own irritation and pulled one of the bed blankets a little further up around America-cat.

 _Now to give into my caffeine addicti- I mean, feed my caffeine appreciation. That doesn't make sense, does it?_

I didn't bother to change out of my winter sleep wear, which consisted of a royal blue long sleeve with a penguin on the middle and white, thick sweat pants. I also wore some black slippers so my bare feet wouldn't have to touch the freezing wooden floor outside of my carpeted room.

"YOU'RE NOT PUTTING YOUR TEA CRAP INTO MY CUPS!" America announced.

"WHAT ELSE AM I TO DRINK! THIS REVOLTING RUBBISH?!" Britain argued back.

"IT'S CALLED COFFEE! AND IT'S WAY BETTER THAN YOUR GROSS DRINK!" America and Britain literally had angry red sparks between them and looked ready to fight each other when I entered the dining room. This development wasn't new to me though, so I brushed past both of them, while grabbing the pot of coffee I spotted on the counter.

 _Bottoms up! Bottoms up! Ay, what's in ya cup! ...Forget a cup, I need more than that to drink!_ I drank straight from the pot, ignoring how my tongue grew numb from the still hot liquid.

"I WOULD'NT NEED YOUR CUPS IF YOUR STUPID CAR WAS'NT BROKEN!"

"DON'T INSULT BETTY, SHE'S SENSITIVE!"

"Y-YOU NAMED YOUR CAR?! WHO DOES THAT?!"

I was tempted to throw hot coffee in both their faces _(my malicious side comes out when I'm sleep deprived)_ but I valued my caffeine goodness too much for that. Instead, I got a less homicidal idea when I spotted an empty spray bottle by the window sill.

Dodging the silverware that the two were now chucking at each other, I picked up the bottle and headed towards the sink. Filling it up with coldest water available, which was pretty cold considering the freezing temperatures outside, I turned back to the nations.

"YO!" I shouted, grabbing both of their attentions.

"Don't insult my caffeine supplier!" I attacked Britain with the spray bottle, causing him to raise his hands in defense and avoid the chilling water that I rapidly sprayed him with.

"Don't insult my leaf water!" I turned to America, who had been laughing at Britain's misery, and I sprayed him without mercy as well.

"It's too cold for a water fight, dude!"

"Are you insane?!"

Both Britain and America appeared very upset about being soaked with freezing water.

 _They had it coming._ I reasoned with myself.

"Maybe I am losing my mind, but that kind of happens when you're forced to listen to two people squabble like infants for an entire day." My voice was full of quiet fury, as I was never a morning person, and disturbing my sleep was a bad idea for any creature which valued its life.

"It's not my fault he-" I aimed the water bottle at Britain, causing his mouth to snap close.

"I don't really care why you're shouting and arguing, I just want it to stop. _Now._ " I spoke loud and clear. Neither Britain or America said anything to reply to me, but they angrily glared at one another in silence.

"Great, now act like the adults you appear to be. I'm going back to my room and I do not wish to be disturbed again." I grabbed the pot of coffee and started to take it with me.

"Hey, I haven't gotten a cup yet!" America complained, and I turned back to him with irritation and exhaustion in my stance. I was on a roll with my anger, and I couldn't stop if I wanted to.

"I'm sorry, coffee is an adult drink, America. You want it? Prove your not a toddler in an adult's body." I was still very mad about my sleep being disturbed and my anger was building under the surface of my self control. I think America realized that as he voiced no more complaints while I shuffled out the room.

 _Coffee is good for the soul._ I went back upstairs, stretched out on my bed, and downed the coffee like a starving man would do food.

* * *

"Watcha doing, May?" America questioned behind the safety of the back door's screen covered window.

"Failing to build a snowman." I replied, packing more snow onto the lumpy snowball I had built up. I was wearing the black winter coat America had bought me, my own furry brown boots, black leather gloves _(borrowed from America)_ , and a nice blue hat.

"You need some help?" America asked and I watched him, now wearing a coat and boots, exit the safety of his warm house.

"Thought you couldn't stand the cold?" I asked him.

"I hate the cold, but the snow is always fun!" America told me. He crouched down beside me and started to pack the snow onto my misshapen snowball.

"I'm never successfully made one of these. How about you?" I asked him while I watched our lumpy snowball grow in size.

"Yeah, I did a few times! It's been awhile, but I'm sure I remember how." I wasn't sure what times America was referring to, but somehow he was causing my snowball to smooth out and actually look like the bottom of a snowman.

"This is awesome!" I told him, getting excited as he finished the first large snowball.

"I told you, I'm an expert!" America smiled back. We then began to work on creating another ball, though this one was medium sized. To make things go faster, I left him to work on the second ball while I started working on the smallest one.

 _The head is the only part of the snowman I've ever success fully made... Northern girl fail!_

I managed to make a nice sized snowball and shaved some of the snow off with my gloved hands until it looked very round.

"Let me put it on top!" America sounded excited as he gently lifted the snow ball and placed it on top of the rest of them.

 _Yes! It didn't fall off or break apart!_

"It's not done yet." America admired the snowman as if it were a piece of artwork in a museum.

"You get the arms, I'll get the face." I told him and we both ran off to find what we needed. Luckily, I found some stones covered in frost near the back door. Gathering up a pile in my hands, I moved back to the snowman. Together, America and I gave the snowman arms, eyes, and a smiling mouth. America quickly gave up his scarf and wrapped it around the snowman's neck, while I ripped off my hat and placed it onto the snowman's head.

"Still not done yet."

"It needs a nose!" America announced, running back into the house. A few seconds later he came back out with a carrot.

 _America actually has healthy vegetables in his house? When did that happen?!_ America happily ran up to the snowman and stuck the carrot on its face.

"We did it!" I shouted, admiring our beautiful creation. I always wanted to build a snowman, but even with my parents help, I had never managed to make one.

"Awesome, right?" America cheered. The snowman was two thirds his size, but he still seemed proud to have made the short thing.

"I was wondering why it was so quiet in here." Britain said from the doorway, the typical scowl on his face. The sudden intrusion caused I and America to turn around.

"We made a snowman!" America announced with a triumphant grin, still very proud of his accomplishment.

"Yes, I can see that." Britain sounded none too impressed. "I can't believe you two, acting like children." Britain continued on.

"That's because we're children at heart." I stated passionately before America could shout an insult, placing my hands over my heart in an over dramatic fashion.

"Come on, Britain. Don't be such a grouchy old dude!" America added, causing a red, irritation tick mark to appear on Britain's forehead.

"I am not an old man! I'm just more mature than you!" Britain shouted, storming outside with a green coat on that matched his army uniform.

"Aren't you like a million years old?" America asked with a few question marks floating over his head and an oblivious look upon his face.

"No! No nation is that old, you-" Britain stumbled back when a snowball hit him in the chest.

"Look at me, I'm old man Britain! I'm so much better than you lot!" I mimicked Britain's voice the best I could, with all the male deepness and British accent I could muster. It had been a while since I had used my mimicking abilities, but it sort of just came out in the spur of the moment.

 _I used to drive my father mad when I mimicked my mother's voice, and he turned around just to see me standing there._ I held back from giggling at the memory of my father's shocked face that quickly morphed into a grin whenever I messed around with him. It was especially humorous when I was a child, as my mother's adult voice never quiet looked right coming out my child body. Unlike my father though, in reaction to the voice, Britain looked shell shocked and America stared at me with wide eyes before he fell over with laughter.

"I don't sound like that!" Britain tried to defend himself.

"Dude, she sounds just like you!" America choked out before continuing to laugh loudly.

"Why of course, I'm the United Bloody Kingdom! I have no meaning of the word entertainment because I'm so stuffy!" I continued to mimic Britain's voice, while standing behind a laughing America. It was starting to become easier to mimic Britain, and I even enjoyed altering my voice in such a way, as it reminded me of when I used to joke around with my friends and they would beg me to mimic their parents or some actor's voice so we could all have a good laugh.

"Stop that display!" Britain was turning red in the face.

"How dare you! I'm a former pirate! You cannot speak to me in such a manner!" I exaggerated Britain's voice more with my hands on my hips and an imitation of his scowl on my face.

 _This voice would totally cause my friends to die laughing._

"That is quiet enough!" Britain shouted, clutching snow in his hand.

"Sorry, luv. Want me to stop, do something about the matter!" I continued on with a smirk. Then the snowball went sailing from Britain's trembling hand, I slid to the right, and the ball hit America right in the face.

"Snowball fight!" I shouted with hands cupped around my mouth, to carry my voice, before I picked up a snowball and threw it back at Britain. He dodged it by ducking on the ground, despite being startled by its sudden appearance.

"It's on, dudes!" America also threw a snowball towards Britain, hitting him in his back. He laughed triumphantly until he got hit in the shoulder by a snowball.

"May?! I thought you were on my side!" America cried, looking at me wide eyed.

"This is war! Every woman for herself!" I shouted, compacting snow hastily to create a shelter to hide behind.

"Take that you daft fool!" Britain, over his shock, tossed another snowball at America. Somehow, America dodged it and quickly started to build up ammo when Britain turned his attention towards me. I dodged most of them, but one of the snowballs did clip my arm.

"It's on like Donkey Kong!" I battle cried, tossing a ball at both Britain and America. America tossed one back, hitting me in the arm.

 _Oh, that actually stung a little. I'm glad I never had to play dodge ball with him._ I stockpiled more ammo while Britain mostly aimed for America. To his dismay, most of his hits missed and America was easily nailing him with snowballs.

 _Dang, this boy is good._ America was hitting me a lot too with his fast snowballs. Crawling over to Britain, I was smacked over the head with an idea, and almost one of America's snowballs at the same time.

"Britain! Make an alliance with me so we can get this sucker!" I shouted, after Britain tossed his last snowball at America. Slow to respond, Britain hesitated before he quickly nodded at me, and with matching smirks, we started to target America's small fort.

"Not fair!" America yelled at us, being hit by two snowballs.

"All is fair in love and war!" Britain tossed back, and I giggled at his reply.

"You heard the man!" I agreed, building up a fort big enough for me and Britain to hide behind. America, too busy aiming for Britain didn't have time to break down our new fort.

 _Epic winning!_ I silently cheered when I hit a snow covered tree branch above America's head, and caused a miniature snow avalanche to fall down on him.

"Nice shot, May!" Britain told me, still aiming for America. I doubted that either of them noticed that I immediately froze.

 _D-Did he just compliment me?_ I tried to think of a time in the past when Britain had done that, and I couldn't recall a single time within the near month I had known him in person. Yet I was literately knocked from my musing when America's snowball suddenly hit me in the back.

 _No time for contemplation!_ I ducked behind the fort and created snowball ammo for Britain to use.

As we all fell deeper into the game, I doubted that any of us noticed when the sun started to break throw the thick, white clouds above us. I myself didn't feel the hours past until my arms started to ache and the amount of snowballs flying noticeably decreased.

"Anybody want to call truce?!" I shouted when the lull of fighting became evident on both sides.

"Not unless you admit defeat!" America shouted, though I could hear he was breathing harder than usual.

"What do you mean defeat! You're the bloody loser!" Britain shouted back, also panting. Deciding we had had enough, I got up and walked into the middle of both sides with my arms up to show my innocence.

"As the only pacifist here, I deem this match a tie!" I shouted, before turning away and dragging myself towards the house. America seemed ready to argue, but then a large spout of water seemingly came from the air and nearly landed on him.

"Whale dude, chill out!" America shouted, barely avoiding the water.

"My word! You still have that large sea creature!" Britain shouted, as we all looked over to the pool of water that had a large tent set over it. I assumed the tent was meant to help Whale dude stay warm during the winter, since it prevented snow from falling on him, and I could also see steam rising from the pool so I knew the water was being heated because the whale still lived outdoors during the winter.

Whale dude made another sound in America's direction, but didn't squirt out any water. I and Britain didn't know what the whale was trying to convey, but America just nodded at the whale before saying, "Alright, whale dude, you win." Then America dusted the snow off himself and started to leave.

"You listen to a whale, but not us?!" Britain was still spazzing out over the whale's appearance, but I also shrugged and left the backyard after I gave a nod of acknowledgment in the whale's direction.

 _Oh jeez, that was my workout of the week!_ I saw Britain cautiously look away from the whale and start to follow me inside.

"I still totally won!" America announced from inside the house.

"Shut up, you twat. I and May know the true victor." Britain grumbled as he shrugged out of his coat. I rolled my eyes at the statement, and waited for the expected retort from America to come, when a knocking sound interrupted the near silence of the room.

"That must be the delivery guy with the gasoline I ordered!" America concluded, hurrying towards the front door. Neither me or Britain decided to follow, and we were left alone in the hallway.

"Wonderful, now I can finally leave this dreadful house." Britain muttered, breaking the silence. I turned my head to him and nodded.

"Yeah, about that," I started off sheepishly, "I just wanted to let you know I'm sorry about dragging you into this mess. You wouldn't have been stuck here if I hadn't said something." I admitted. It suddenly occurred to me that once again I had found myself in the wrong with Britain, and I wondered if it was always going to be that way between me and him.

"Do not trouble yourself with such thoughts... You had decent intentions." Britain spoke slowly and softly, without turning to me. I didn't know how to reply to his sudden considerate words, but I felt a light blush on my face so I remained silent. After a few moments passed, I started to fidget as the silence made me uncomfortable.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Britain spoke up again, turning towards me.

"What on purpose?" I asked him, not understanding what he meant.

"Dragging me into that ridiculous winter game. You purposely enticed me into it." Britain told me like it was a fact, and I knew he didn't need my confirmation.

"Maybe I did... You sounded like you needed a refresher." I explained, fighting the smile that wanted to appear on my face. Instead, I probably looked like I was smirking a little.

"A refresher? On what?" Now it was Britain's turn to be genuinely confused.

"On how to have fun. From what I saw of you, back in my world, you don't seem to have it that much." I told him honestly, staring at him with a little pity in my eyes. Britain didn't reply, but he stared at me with eyes a little wider than normal.

"You're an old man, Britain, compared to most people," I corrected when I saw anger flash on his face," but that doesn't mean you always have to act like one. So do everyone a favor and live a little." I told him, twirling a strand of my blue hair and looking away due to my embarrassment. I wasn't sure if Britain planned to respond, or if he knew how to respond, but he didn't get much of a chance.

"Don't worry, dudes! I saved the day and the car is totally fine!" America announced, wrecking havoc on both my and Britain's eardrums.

"Must you be so loud?!" Britain complained.

"I don't know what you're talking about, dude!" America laughed off the insult, to Britain's dismay.

"I certainly won't miss all the yelling." I muttered to myself.

"Let us take our leave already." Britain grumbled, hoping America would hurry out to the car.

"Totally, I can't stand having your stuffy tea drinks in my house!" America complained, all too happily leaving the room first.

"Daft fool, tea is a true gentleman's drink." Britain whispered harshly, but he didn't follow America like I expected.

"About that night, May." Britain started off quietly with his face turned towards me. "I can't quite remember what exactly happened, but I remember enough... I-I needed to hear that." Britain refused to meet my eyes, as if he didn't want to admit to himself what he was doing, and then he hurried away.

 _Two compliments in a row from Britain. Clearly this world is madder than I thought... or perhaps I'm the mad one._ Suddenly pondering on how the day had went, I came to realize that maybe the snowball fight wasn't just a way to help Britain.

 _Cincinnati... I really do miss you._ It kind of cheered me up to play in the snow like I did as a child, with my parents or friends, and it reminded me of my northern home. Lately, I had started to feel homesick and it was becoming harder to ignore the reality that I wasn't going home any day now. It helped when I could interact with America, since he was a rather great distraction, but he tended to leave the house and go to what I assumed was his job at an army base.

 _It's days like these that help me smile._ I watched the snow fall through the back door's window as I continued to contemplate my situation. Even if it was a waste of time, it wasn't worrisome to me because in my eyes, I had plenty of time to spare.

After all, I was going to be here a while.

* * *

"Time you enjoy **wasting** , was not wasted." ~John Lennon

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Anyone else surprised I wrote over 10,000 words for once? No? ...Just me?**

 **Normally I would split a chapter of this length into two chapters, but I'm feeling generous today!**

 **Anyway, really hope you'll leave a _review (who wants to be lucky number 30... or more?)_ and inspire me to write faster! I really do enjoy hearing people's thoughts, and even a simple reminder to update is very appreciated by myself.**

 **Now bye byes!**


	8. Chapter 8: Snippets of My Day

**Hello, readers! First of all, thank you guys so much for showing this story some love by getting the amount of follows, reviews, and favorites to be over 30! I was so overwhelmed by the amount of people who have favorited and followed this story, and I even noticed that many of you have been favoriting and following me as an author, and that is all very appreciated by myself!**

 **About this chapter though, know that there has been a time skip. Every time there will be a time skip where May has entered a new month, I will be posting the date on the top of the chapter (just letting you know).**

 **Also, so sorry for taking over three weeks to update, but I wanted to make another beautiful, long chapter for you guys, and here it is!**

 **Disclaimer: ...Nope, not saying anything... Don't give me that look, you know the drill with the whole I don't own this anime (butIwishIdid!) issue.**

* * *

 **Flashback** (also known as Recollection): A strong **Memory** of a past event that comes suddenly into a person's mind

* * *

 _April, 1942_

Despite the dark blue curtains being tightly closed, thin beams of light managed to peak into my shadowed bedroom. From my sprawled out position under the blue comforters of my bed, I squinted my eyes blearily and turned my head towards the closed bedroom door.

 _What time is it?_ I shuffled under the covers until I could pull an arm free, and then I twisted around to lay on my side. Now closer to the dresser beside my bed, I was able to yank out my cellphone from the top drawer.

 _Hmmm, 7:00 am. Right on the dot as always_. Despite the early hour, I felt no yearning to return to sleep or even a hint of exhaustion.

Frankly, I was wide awake.

 _I used to sleep in until afternoon, if I could, but now I'm like this._ I thought idly to myself, right when my head was abruptly assaulted by a memory.

 _"Time to rise and shine!"_ My mother's voice rang in my head like a distant echo.

 _"Be a morning star!" My father added in, appearing in the doorway of my old bedroom alongside my mother. My only response then was to toss a pillow in the voices' direction and snuggle deeper under my covers._

 _"Surely you have better aim." My mother reprimanded and I could sense the quizzical, expectant look she was sending me. This caused me to smile slightly despite being half dead to the world and having my eyes firmly shut. Truly, I just wanted to groan at the thought of having 12th grade English so darn early in the morning, but I knew it would do me no good._

 _"We could always toss boiled water on her." My father suggested casually, and after a few seconds of my zombie brain figuring out what he just said, I immediately shot up from my bed into a sitting position. In this tired morning state, the fact that my father was joking hadn't registered and adrenaline knocked me into the world of semi-awareness._

 _"I liiiivvveee!" My voice cracked a little while I shouted, since my mouth still had that morning dryness. Then_ _I sprang out of bed, ignored my father's snicker and my mother's smirk as they lingered by my bedroom door, and hurried pass them to enter the restroom in the hallway._

I brushed aside the thoughts about my sudden, odd resistance to I'm-not-a-morning-person-itis, which I had been developing for the past couple of months in the Hetalia world.

The memories, I completely ignored.

 _Let's get this done._ The darkness did not perturb me as I left my bed to pull out black leggings and a dark blue tank top from the closest. Quickly getting changed, I pulled off my pajamas, folded them, and placed them on top of my pillow. I also made up my bed out of pure habit before deeming myself ready. I then slipped into my black house shoes and opened my bedroom door.

 _I half expect crickets to be chirping._ I thought amusingly as I stepped into the grayish hallway. The entire house was near silent and all the colors appeared dull to me since the sun was just now rising, and it was bringing in only a faint glow through the windows.

 _Coffee is always good for the heart..._ I made my way downstairs and took my time to enter the kitchen. As per usual, I noticed a plain, white note left on the counter next to the already made pot of coffee.

 _"Yo, dude! I'd totally be with you this morning but Britain begged me to help him with this awesome mission! The dude is old and weak, ya know, so I had to take an early flight on my plane and hurry over to rescue him! I'll be back by tonight!"_

 _"P.S. I'm the hero!"_

"Hm." I chuckled lightly after reading the note. I expected a note like this every morning, though I had no idea America would leave the country for some mission today. Usually I woke up and America wasn't in the house since he left around 6:00 am to go to his army base and help out the soldiers, generals, or pilots there. I wasn't quite sure how he helped them, but I didn't see any reason to ever question it.

 _He'll be home by ten at the very latest._ It was typical for America to return home by six in the afternoon, but I assumed it would take longer for him to return since he apparently took a plane to England.

Now properly informed, I placed the note back down and turned the coffee machine on, which I had figured out how to do one morning _(only took me two weeks!),_ and then patiently waited for the coffee to warm up. I also glanced over at the loaf of bread America had left out, him probably assuming I would toast it and eat it for breakfast, but I soon looked away.

 _Just not hungry yet._ The thought brought up a twinge of concern, but I shook my head to clear away such feelings.

 _Coffee life all day, every day._ The aroma from the coffee was scrumptious in my eyes and much more appealing than solid food this morning.

 _"Coffee? Are you sure?" My father asked me, looking over at my coffee mug while I sat at the kitchen table._

 _"Tea is better." My mother interjected, not even glancing over as she reviewed some files that she had brought home from work yesterday._

 _"Tea's great, but I need real caffeine." I muttered over the mug I held as I tried to remain upright and not fall asleep on my omelet. Like with many people in high school, every school day morning was a struggle against using the breakfast plate as a pillow and the table cloth as a blanket._

 _"Real caffeine? There is no fake caffeine in tea." My mother muttered, not looking up at me as she reviewed her files with a careful eye._

 _"You know what I meant." I playfully tossed back before I yawned, and almost poured creamer on my food instead of the mug I was aiming for._

 _"It's you're decision... I suppose." My father gave a disdainful look at the coffee and continued to drink his own steaming, lemon tea from his cup._

I turned off the machine, and pulled out the coffee jug. Pouring a cup for myself, I tested its level of warmth by taking a small sip. Not getting burned too bad, I took a larger sip and suddenly tried not to yelp.

 _"Hot, hot, hot!" I shouted after taking too large of a sip from my coffee cup, on my way towards the living room._

 _"Tea would not do that to you." My mom noticed my pain and added her two cents from her bedroom doorway_.

 _"What do you mean? Tea can still burn your tongue." I said with a slight lisp since my tongue still ached, and I allowed it to hang slightly out of my mouth in order to cool it off with fresh air._

 _"Yes, but the burn would be more fruitful..." My mom concluded blankly, drawing her body back into her room._ _No longer near me, she didn't notice how I gave her an incredulous look._

 _"You say the oddest things sometimes." I muttered._

 _"Hurts so good, is that what they say." My mom spoke to herself without leaving the confines of her room._

"Practice time!" I downed the rest of the coffee, mildly burned my mouth, and placed the cup in the sink. I then hurried into the hallway and ran over to the gym room, my energy having been renewed by the dose of coffee.

"Let's make some noise, party people!" I started with some common stretches for my arms, legs, and back. I did the stretches at my own pace, hoping to ease my body, in preparation for more strenuous movements. Within a matter of minutes, I slowly allowed myself to fall into numerous kata forms.

 _"You are moving too much! Fight for balance!" My instructor's words were harsh, especially to my six year old mind. Yet I didn't respond, too focused on perfecting the kata, but I tried to slow down and steady my positions in compliance with her words._

I started to move out from my katas and enter into actual moves.

 _"Have you found your center? A peace?" I felt as if my instructor were circling me in a hawk-like motion, using a keen eye to correct the slightest miscalculation. "If not, you cannot move on. How can you turn your opponent's anger against themselves if your own anger wears you down?"_

"I'm not angry." I wasn't sure why my mouth replied to a memory of long ago, and I ended up pausing for a second, due to confusion, before I resumed my position.

 _"Stop fighting. If you wanted to fight then you should be training at karate. This is Aikido; art of peace... A work of love." My teacher's voice was firm but patient. I was still learning and new to this after all. Besides, I was only a first grader. It didn't matter how well I did in school, her elegant words still made little sense to me._

 _Such a dedicated woman, kind of old fashioned though._ I couldn't voice my thoughts as I swiftly feigned like I was knocking a sword out of someone's hand, swinging my foot in an upwards strike. I then threw myself back so my body would be partially arched, with my firm stomach topside, and my muscles held my balance without the aid of my arms to support me since only my fingertips touched the ground. It was my way of dodging a retaliation that was in the form of a punch.

 _"Be calm."_ I felt my heartbeat speed up and I started to lightly pant when I sent a tsuki by throwing my fist towards the punching bag and then slightly jumping back. When the bag swung back towards me I threw myself to the side in order to avoid it, and then I twisted around and grabbed half of the punching bag like I was restraining an attacker.

 _"Be unyielding and gentle. Your opponent is not meant to be harmed, they are to be saved from their own foolishness."_

 _"Only a fool would attack my daughter." My father interjected, poking his head into the doorway from the hallway he was supposed to wait for me in. The Aikido classes were still new to the both of us, and my father hadn't been comfortable enough to leave me entirely alone for the one hour session._

 _"Hm." My instructor let out an irritated huff and sent a reprimanding look towards my father for interrupting her teachings. Quickly quelled, my father wandered away from the door and went back to sitting outside somewhere._

 _Haha! That still cracks me up! ...What did he use to call me back then?_ I became distracted and grew still when the memories overwhelmed me.

 _"There's my toughie scout! Ready to go?" My father asked after giving me a pat on my shoulder._

 _"Can we get ice cream?" My voice was high pitched as any six year old girl and my smile was toothy enough to reveal the couple of missing teeth I had._

 _"Of course, but don't tell your mother. She wouldn't stand for you to eat such a fatty thing after training so hard." My father whispered conspiratorially, causing me to solemnly nod in agreement with my hand covering my mouth so I wouldn't blurt out anything._

"I... I should stop." I whispered out, the memories continuing to play in my head. "I can't focus today." I brushed off the thoughts and pretended not to realize that this was the twelfth practice session where my head just wasn't joined up with my body. Thus I quickly sent a soft bow towards the punching bag, for being such a faithful partner, and then I rushed out.

Unfortunately, the voices trailed after me.

 _"It's okay to fear, it's not okay to hide from it." My instructor went on softly._

I hurried up the stairs and the voices kept coming.

 _"What is it that you defend?" The instructor tried to make eye contact with me, but didn't reprimand me as I looked at the floor and pushed on with the katas._

I was running up the stairs, and I could feel myself break into a sweat while my breaths became short and quick.

 _"What if you fail? Even I fear failure." Though I was only six, I could still detect the sad admittance in the tone my teacher used._

I threw open my bedroom door, causing it to clang against the wall, and I hurried toward the bathroom.

 _"Why do you train?"_ The words rang out harshly, like they didn't belong in the past or the now.

I practically tore off my clothes and allowed them to fall onto the tile ground. Hurriedly I turned on the shower and threw myself under it. Not waiting long enough for the water to heat up or even bothering to throw a shower cap on, I allowed the sudden assault of cold water to distract me from the past event.

 _"I... I'm..."_ I could no longer hear the words in my memory and the scene no longer played, but the harsh sobs of that little girl lingered.

The actions of that girl, I fought not to repeat.

* * *

 _10:07 am_

I dried myself off in a timely fashion and stared at my mirror's reflection.

 _Nothing's changed._ I had dried off my hair after getting it soaked with the rest of my body, yet it seemed not to suffer any damage.

 _Hair doesn't need to be re-straightened._ The majority of my hair, which was blonde, hadn't returned to its natural wavy state. The curls in front of my hair still remained, as if they had been frozen into those bouncy, curly waves.

 _Even the hair dye doesn't need to be touched up._ My hair was as blue and purple as it had been when I first got it done, despite the fact I had washed my hair quite a few times in the past three months.

"It shouldn't be like this." I glanced down at my flat iron and my hand twitched towards it before turning over to grasp my hairbrush instead.

 _"Are you okay?"_ My father's voice came forth, but I moved on.

I brushed the back of my hair to make sure the straightness was as neat as possible and I even ran a comb through it. Pushing the curls in front and the blonde hair back, I gave one spritz of shine and moisturizer to my hair and inhaled the smell of strawberry. Then I gave one last look to my hair style and placed my products back down.

 _Face? Not a make-up person._ I placed some lip balm onto my lips, and glanced down at the sole case of eye shadow that I owned.

 _"Take it, you might change your mind." My mother told me, handing the thin, black case over._

 _"You know I've never worn this stuff before." I told her, still accepting the gift with a small grin._

 _"Lady gift for my young lady." My mother simply stated, and I could sense the pride radiating from her._

 _Almost forgot! Contacts!_ I opened up a tiny, baby blue case and pulled out the first contact lens. With practiced care, I placed each one into my eyes and then stared up at myself with a neutral expression.

 _"You remind me of your father when I watch you put those on."_

"I'm done here." I muttered to myself and exited the bathroom. Thus going over to my closest, I pulled out some casual clothing to wear besides my gym gear. Soon black sweat pants were pulled on and a plain, evergreen t-shirt was tugged gently over my head. Without much effort, I stared at the window curtains I had yet to open up while I thought about the rest of my day.

"What to do now?" I asked the air.

The house responded with silence.

* * *

 _1:06 pm_

"Ah, beh, ceh, cheh, deh, eh, effe, ge, hache, i, jota, kah..." I repeated the Spanish alphabet in the same tune as the English alphabet song, even though the letters didn't match the tune entirely considering Spanish had more letters than English. Currently, I lied on my bed with my laptop and other pieces of technology littered nearby me.

 _"Spanish? Why did you take that one?" My mother's disdain was clear to me._

 _"I like the way it sounds." I replied softly._

 _"...Why not the other language?" My mother's voice was low and calm._

 _"You know French doesn't interest me." I tried not to look at her._

 _"..." My mother didn't say anything else, for neither of us wanted to mention what she really meant. There was a third language offered at my school and I knew she had been so certain I would take it. Therefore, she didn't have to speak; her disappointment was clear._

I was also playing a game on my iPhone which involved making my character jump over obstacles and avoid being smacked by a train. I was barely paying attention to it, but I couldn't think of much else to do.

 _I wish I could study for more but I barely started college classes before I got stuck here._ The only classes I found that I could study for were Spanish and dance/theater arts. Engineering, with all its math and physics, simply wasn't possible to study in the 1940's, unless I wanted to learn outdated information. English class also couldn't be studied considering how much the American language had changed by the 2010s.

 _It's not the same._ My character got hit by a train once I found myself distracted by the honest thought. Despite wasting my time on games, studying, and doing whatever I felt like doing, I felt unsettled and empty in a sense. It was kind of like that feeling during summer vacation when I didn't go to summer camp and all my homework was completed. Once the joy of being able to do what I pleased faded away, I was left to realize how little I really had to or wanted to do.

 _I need a purpose._ No longer able to focus on my games, I pulled out my earbuds from my pocket and plugged it into my phone. I clicked random shuffle on my playlist and allowed whatever song that came on first to play.

 _Hey hey daddy, get me a cola_

 _Hey hey mommy, hey hey mommy_

 _That freshly-baked apple pie,_

 _I will never forget the taste of it!"_

 _Draw a circle, it's the Earth,_

 _Draw a circle, it's the Earth,_

 _Draw a circle, it's the Earth,_

 _I am America_

 _Draw a circle, it's the Ear-_

"Seriously?!" I paused the music and ripped out my earbuds. Taking into account my situation, that song was just ironic and unwanted at this point.

 _I'm just going to watch TV or something._ I tossed my hand out to the side and dragged my laptop over to myself. Turning it on, I waited for the home screen to pop up and then I stared at the time.

"One-thirteen? That's plenty of time to watch a couple of movies." I mumbled, well assured that America wouldn't return any earlier than six.

 _Star Trek binge time it is!_ I thought proudly while I pulled up the website I knew would have the movies I sought.

 _It's better than listening to this empty house._ The silence would drive me mad if I let, therefore I opted to get comfortable instead, and prepared myself for a lazy day as I threw a pillow behind my back.

* * *

 _5:26 pm_

Normally I would have done my dance practice immediately after my Aikido training, but since I had done that earlier, only now had I returned to the gym. I also would have played some music on my phone to help me keep a beat, but I simply wasn't willing to hear music after another playlist incident occurred just an hour ago.

 _You know it's not the right time to play music when the first lyric you hear is "When you try your best, but you don't succeed"._ Already stretched out and ready to move, I started off slow just to be safe. I moved graceful like it was a ballet performance and I slowly stretched one leg behind me and threw my arms forwards. Maintaining balance, I spun a little at an angle on the foot that was guiding my whole body in a twist, that foot acting as my sole balance. Then I meaningful placed my leg back down and returned to a standing position.

Without warning, my leg collapsed and I stumbled into a half fall before I managed to catch myself on my hands.

 _Dang! I was hoping this wouldn't happened._ _Shouldn't I have fully healed by now?!_ The leg didn't ache, but it also didn't seem inclined to hold all my weight anymore.

 _"You should stay off that leg for at least another month. Don't try to force it to return back to normal. As frustrating as it can be, healing takes time." The doctor told me as_ _I laid in the hospital bed with a brace on my leg and stitches on my forehead. I didn't care much for what he said though, since I was finally being discharged._

 _I was going home, and that was all that mattered._

"Maybe I should have listened." I tested some weight on my left leg before I stood up, and I was glad to feel it was only shaky.

 _Hm, maybe I should give it a break... How about snack time? I could go for some toast._

I started to walk out the gym, and tried to ignore the small ache I felt coming from a injury that had yet to recover.

* * *

 _11:47 p.m._

 _Knock-knock_

"America?" I asked out loud as I rose up from the kitchen dining room. I had gone downstairs at about 9:00 pm, awaiting the arrival of America. Strange enough, he hadn't shown up yet and I could admit that I was more than a little worried. I even checked my WWII timeline on my phone to make sure nothing serious had happened to him, only to read that U.S. troops were being sent to Australia and he had made his first bomb raid on Tokyo, Japan recently. All together, there was nothing too serious happening to America in this exact month during WWII, which just left me confused.

 _Knock-knock_

Remembering that someone was knocking, I got up from the couch in the living room to investigate.

 _If it is America, why would he knock? He has keys to his own house..._ _unless he lost them..._

I went up to the door, and glad to see there was a peeping hole, I looked through it.

 _Wait a minute, what-_ I unlocked the door and quickly threw it open.

"Britain?" I questioned while staring at the nation in shock.

"What took you so long to answer this blasted door?" Britain grumbled, always easily annoyed by the slightest things.

"Nice to see you to." I started with a sarcastic tone and a smile, but then I frowned as I remembered my main worry. "What are you doing here? And where's America?" I asked, glancing around Britain in the hope of glimpsing that crazy cowlick and familiar, exuberant grin.

"Actually, it is his fault that I'm here." Britain muttered, sounding mildly irritated at something America had done.

"The mission didn't go well?" I asked, trying to figure out what the problem was.

"No, it went bloody fine." Britain grumbled with a long suffering sigh. "We even completed the mission, and everything was going fine until this supply box arrived. It wasn't really needed by me or America, considering we were leaving the forest area soon, but you know about that fool's abnormal love for sweets." Britain continued, almost going on a tirade as he glared off to the side.

"I happened to find there was a pint of that _repulsive_ , sugar filled ice cream in the supplies. I wanted nothing to do with such a ghastly thing so I offered it to America." Britain's words were stirring up a faint memory in my head and I felt my eyes widen as I recalled the episode scene.

"The fool, in his haste for sugary sweets, rushed over. Before I could warn him, he slipped on a banana peel right as he made a leap towards the ice cream. Next thing I am aware of, he's bleeding all over the floor and I have to rush him to a hospital. How dare he give me a heart attack like-"

"HAHAHAhaha!" I couldn't hold back as I remembered that small scene near the end of a Hetalia episode, and the hilarity of it all finally hit me.

"My word, what are you laughing about?" Britain sounded like he was partially indignant but also confused over what he was indignant about.

"Dude!" I chocked out. "He slipped on a banana peel and broke his leg for the sake of ice cream! That's ridiculous!" I gasped as I fell back into my fit of laughter, while Britain just stared at me with a raised brow. I couldn't blame him, I was laughing a bit more loudly than I would have from watching the anime scene myself, but I guess it was funnier hearing it in person.

 _Let's not forgot he's the fist person you've spoke to in over 24 hours._ Another part of my mind reminded me. It was possible that my laughter also derived from the fact that I was finally hearing someone else's voice beside my own for what felt like an eternity. Such an idea helped me to quickly sober up and regain my bearings.

"Are you quite done yet?" Britain asked me, still staring at me warily.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I took a deep breathe and looked back up at Britain to prove I was back in control.

"Wondrous, then let us take our leave." Britain stated, turning around.

"What?!" I was uncertain about what he was talking about.

"I came here to tell you that I have had America transferred to a hospital nearby. He can't stay there for long, since he heals faster than most people, and he needs to be brought home as soon as possible." Britain explained offhandedly, stepping off the porch.

"How does that involve me?" I asked with a quizzical expression.

 _Britain could have just brought him here himself if that were the only issue._

"You, while America is temporarily out of service, are going to have to be his caregiver." Britain finished off while he headed over to his shiny, blue car.

"Huh?" I couldn't entirely fathom what I just been told, though I managed to open the house door a little wider.

"It's certainly not going to be me. I did that once and I do not wish to go through it again." Britain muttered to himself as he opened the car door.

"...Okaaaayyy?" I eventually just shrugged, slipped into my blue tennis shoes, and closed the door behind me. It seemed my daily routine wasn't going to continue as I planned.

For that, I was grateful.

* * *

It didn't take long for us to arrive outside the hospital, though I was a tad surprised to see it. Taking in the fact that I had never noticed the hospital before despite the multiple times I had passed by this area in Washington D.C was a tad baffling to me.

"Let's check in and see where that fool was transferred." Britain grumbled under his breath as we excited his car and entered the building. Walking up to the main receptionist desk, I failed to hear Britain's words as I took in the strange sight before me.

 _This looks more like a clinic than anything._ I noticed from the outside that the building was no taller than three floors, which was strange in itself since I was used to hospitals talking up miles of land and being like ten floors. Also, the windows looked like regular house windows instead of the glossy glass windows I was used to seeing.

 _Well at least it's not me stuck in this place... This time._ I observed the area with wide eyes, finding it to be so foreign with its lack of technology. The oddest part was the people in the waiting room who actually read magazines and books or filled out papers rather than listening to music or texting on their phones.

"May?" Britain's voice drew me out of my daze when I noticed he was heading down a hall and impatiently waiting for me to follow.

"Oh, sorry. I'm just a little weirded out by how different this place looks..." I explained while still glancing around my surroundings as I followed Britain's lead towards a staircase.

"Whatever do you mean?" Britain questioned as we walked up the stairs until we reached the third floor.

"Just... It's hard to believe people could survive with so little technology once upon a time..." I felt a edge of nostalgia drift into my voice when I recalled the CD players, large headphones, and cassette players I had as a young child. Like most people of the 2010's, such things were a distant memory to me.

"I assume it's much different where you're from." Britain's comment sounded like he was distracted and I saw him glancing at the room numbers that we passed by, obviously searching for the one the receptionist had told him America was in.

"You know, maybe one day in seventy years or so you'll be feeling the exact same." I barely spoke above a whisper, and I doubted Britain heard me as he continued in his search. Yet both of us came to a halt when we heard a large crash and voices being raised from a certain direction.

 _I'd say that we found our nation._ We hurried over to the room ahead and opened up the door to walk into an unusual situation.

"I'll get you, commie!" America, who had a large bandage on his forehead, a cast on his leg, and dusty blue hospital clothing on, was exerting himself in leaning over his bed to reach the other patient in the room.

"Russia?!" I heard Britain shout at the same time as me, though he sounded more startled while I was closer to confusion.

"Hahaha. It is nice of you to be joining us." Russia smiled broadly once he noticed us before he turned back to America's reaching limbs, which clawed at the air just a few inches short of reaching Russia's arm. "It is funny to watch him, da?" Russia continued to darkly chuckle to himself despite how severely injured he was.

 _Wait a second... Wasn't the episode where America got injured the same one where Russia jumped out of a plane and broke like every bone in his body?_ It made sense if that had happened to Russia recently since he had both of his legs in casts, one arm in a cast, and a neck brace on.

"Stop laughing! I'll get you!" America growled while still attempting to stretch himself and attack Russia, though his injured leg hindered him from leaning over very far.

"You imbecile! Are you trying to injury yourself more?!" Britain shouted as he went over and grabbed America by the collar to pull him away from his in vain struggle of reaching Russia.

"Huh?! What are you doing here?" America halted in his movements when he finally realized Britain was also in the room.

"Don't you remember? I told you that I was going to bring back May so you could be properly released." Britain explained while he huffed in annoyance.

"May?" America swiveled his head and caught sight of me standing in the doorway. "Dude, when did you get in here?" America asked excitedly, and in his rush to see me he leaned over his bedside as if to stand. Obviously America had forgotten about his injury and he soon nearly tumbled out of the side of his bed.

"Idiot!" Britain shouted as he grabbed America's shoulder and pulled him back so he ended up near laying on the large pillow the hospital provided.

"You'll never heal if you keep aggravating your wounds like that!" Britain's face turned an angry red as he scolded America, his hand lingering on America's shoulder as if he were steadying him. In response and a rare moment of quiet, America only scowled and grumbled, "I know how to take care of myself." Then he gave a pointed glance at Britain's arm which led to the hand on his shoulder. Reacting like he had been burned or caught off guard, Britain removed his hand and cleared his throat while retorting, "If you didn't act like a child, then I wouldn't treat you like one." I heard a tension in Britain's voice that was almost akin to regret while America scowled and glanced anywhere except at Britain.

"You should listen to the young nation, it is most entertaining to watch him fail." Russia chuckled, bringing life back into the room. With his attention no longer diverted, America waved a fist at Russia and shouted, "SHUT YOUR MOUTH, COMMIE!" America still seemed ready to pounce and even turned a tad red as he glared heatedly at the laughing country.

"Wait. What is Russia doing here?" I asked, speaking up once my curiosity got the better of me. Russia stopped laughing, but his smile remained as he turned towards me.

"That is a funny story, small girl." Russia started off.

"Don't believe him! Everything he says is a lie!" America shouted from where he was, causing Britain to scold him once again.

"As you probably have heard, I was injured in a plane accident." Russia continued on as if America did not exist.

 _More like you had a little too much vodka, hid it well, and thought the snow would cushion your fall... And I thought Britain was the dangerous drunk._

"I was to be sent to a hospital, but the harsh weather prevented me from being sent to Russian doctors. Then I asked China to send me to his doctors, but he claimed there were none available in his country." Russia had a dark atmosphere growing around him, causing me and Britain to step back a little. "That was okay because he sent me to France instead. Leaving me in France's care, I would have remained but then France claimed that Britain had better doctors that could heal me." Russia giggled a little as his dark aura grew.

 _The one time France would say Britain was superior at something... To save his own skin._

"I was almost sent to your land, Britain, but then I was notified that you had left and were on your way to America. So I was sent to a location near your destination, and here I am." Russia's smile broadened, while the dark aura practically shrouded the entire room in a deep, violet cloud.

"Y-you mean that I am the one in charge of you?" Britain sounded horrified as the idea dawned on him, and when Russia gave him a nod of agreement, he seemed to nearly swoon over from fear.

"I am expecting good care from you, Britain." Russia stated with a smile, the dark clouds dispatching as he looked towards Britain.

"Mercy on your soul." I whispered to Britain with a solemn expression, and I gave him a sympathetic pat on the back for his troubles.

"Why would they do that? They should have just left him in the snow!" America boldly announced, with his arms crossed.

"Haha, that is funny joke, da? We are allies too, _comrade_ America." Russia emphasized, and it almost seemed like he was purposely trying to get a rise out of America.

And rise he did receive.

"I'M NOT YOUR COMRADE SO YOU CAN SHOVE YOUR COMMUNIST IDEAS BACK IN- OW!" Britain whacked America over the head with a pillow while covering one of his ears with another hand.

"It is late, and there are other patients beside you in here, America!" Britain shouted in exasperation.

"It's not my fault! He's driving me crazy!" America pointed accusingly at Russia, but Russia just smiled eerily in his direction.

 _It really is too late for this._ I glanced out the doorway and saw multiple nurses and doctors sending irritated glances in the direction of the room we were in, so I quickly shut the door halfway to avoid any dirty looks.

"Let's just get you out of here." Britain huffed out, probably at his wits end with trying to calm America down and using anger to mask his fear of being Russia's caretaker. Quickly seeing a wheelchair sitting in a corner, I wheeled it over near America's beside as Britain tried to prevent America from resuming his near attack on Russia.

"If I wasn't wearing this stupid cast!" America threatened Russia, once me and Britain helped settle him onto the wheelchair.

"I like hearing such brave words. It will make it so much more fun when I crush you and make you one with me." Russia's smile held a confident twinge while I pushed America pass his bed. Regrettably, the words stirred America's rage and I instinctively held the wheelchair down so it wouldn't tip over when America threw himself to the side and aimed a fist at Russia's bandaged foot. However, Britain also anticipated America's motives and he quickly wrapped a restraining arm around America's torso so he couldn't move forward any more than a few inches.

"LET ME GO! I'M GOING TO SHOVE HIS FACE IN THE CRAPPY, BARREN LAND HE CAME FROM!" America shouted, closing in on Russia despite Britain's attempts to hold him back.

"Hurry, May!" Britain struggled to tell me, and I didn't hesitate to obey. I pushed America as fast as I could out of the room, and I almost felt bad when he made a strangled sound as his injured foot hit the partially closed door in front of him.

"Goodbye, small girl. I will be seeing you, Britain." Russia smiled widely at me and Britain as we escaped the room, though I could of sworn he sent a smirk to America for a brief second.

"Ugh, what gives?!" America cried out, having quieted as the throbbing pain in his foot thoroughly distracted him.

"You are injured, fool." Britain muttered to America in response, his scowl more prominent than usual. America continued to struggle with the pain of his injured foot, so he didn't reply.

"So how are we going to do this?" I questioned, once we had gotten America well into the hallway.

"I will take care of it." Britain started walking away from us to find someone who could release America from the hospital.

"...Can I get my ice cream back now?" America asked, after his foot stopped throbbing. Taken back by the change in mood, I simply stared at him before I gave him a nice thump on the head with my fist.

"Hey! I'm injured enough!" America protested, covering his head to shield it from more assault.

"I'd ask you not to be an idiot, but I think that would go against your nature." I started off, staring at him with a glare.

"Not you too! Britain already lectured me enough!" America whined.

"Clearly not! Seriously, dude, ice cream?! Not even multi-flavored ice cream, just plain vanilla, and you sacrificed a leg for it! I can't believe you!" My anger rose up in a tidal wave before settling down as I let out a heated huff. "Had me worrying all dang night, and now all you can talk about is ice cream." I closed my eyes to starve off my frustration. Truthfully, I was more concerned than angry, but today just wasn't my day. I would of continued to steam if an arm hadn't suddenly tugged on my hand to bring my attention slightly downwards.

"Jeez, May. I'm sorry..." America admitted, looking like a puppy that just owned up to leaving bite marks on his owner's slippers.

 _...Ugh, why he gotta be so cute?!_ I let out a tired sigh and gave America a small pat on the head.

"Fine, what flavor do you want?" I asked reluctantly, causing America's face to light up like the sun.

 _I'm going to regret this when I get home, aren't I?_

"I want-"

"Well, it appears everything is settled." Britain started as he returned, interrupting America's request.

"What did you say to them?" I asked out of pure curiosity, ignoring the way America glared at Britain.

"I'm actually uncertain." Britain smirked a little as he spoke. "All I did was point to his room and they practically begged me to get him out."

"HEY!" America shouted, irritated with what was being said about him.

"The truth hurts." I teased America right back with a shrug.

"That's not fair, ganging up on the injured dude!" America shouted at me and Britain.

"Get used to it."

"If only you acted more of your age! You always have to-"

As the lecturing from Britain began, I figured America was going to have a long night considering he couldn't just run away from the lecture like he usually did. Then again, I decided to allow Britain to do so, since he rarely had an opportunity like this and I still itched to lecture America myself. More importantly, the poor guy was going to end up who knew how long with Russia.

He deserved an award for his sacrifice.

* * *

 _Beep-Beep-Beep_ The alarm on my phone went off at nine o'clock sharp, not that it was entirely necessary considering I had already woken up earlier. I had been basically dozing in my bedroom for the past two hours, undecided about whether I should leave the plush of my bed or remain in it for longer. Slowly I sat up and examined my darkened surroundings.

 _"Rise and shine!"_

 _"Be a star!"_

I roughly shook the voices from my head before I got up and decided to start my routine.

Or I nearly did until I heard a loud, "MAAAAAYYY?! ARE YOU AWAKE?!" America's voice still grated on my ears despite him being so far away.

 _Almost forgot about him._ I quickly threw on a pair of jeans and a blue tank top before I managed to rush out into the hallway and hurry over to where America's room was.

"Need something?" I questioned once I had managed to open his bedroom door. Inside, I found America was still wearing his blue sleep wear and lying on the bed while looking miserable.

"I can't get up." America stated with a pout, and I noticed that his wheelchair had been placed a couple of inches out of his reach.

 _Aw, he's so adowawable!_ The cuteness level was added to by the fact that America wasn't wearing his glasses, which I personally thought made him appear younger than usual. It was also sort of comedic how his bedhead made all of his hair stick up in odd ways, yet that one cowlick was as immaculate as ever.

"Here." I walked in and pushed the chair next to his bedside while America threw on his glasses. Quickly, America tossed himself onto the chair without asking me for any aide.

"Yes! Now I can have breakfast!" America cheered as he rolled the wheelchair's wheels towards the door at top speed.

"Wait, you forgot to open the-"

"AH!" America shouted once his injured leg hit the closed bedroom door.

 _It's going to be a long day._

* * *

 _9:12 am_

"Aren't you hungry?" America suddenly questioned, after he scarfed down the scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast I had made for him. Since America was somewhat incapacitated, and the only food he claimed to know how to make without being allowed to use the stove was ice cream, I had decided to use what little cooking skills I had to make him a meal. Since it had been a while since I cooked anything, I had been worried that I would be rusty. To my pleasant surprise, it was only once he had his third plate _(who knew I could cook?)_ that he noticed I had nothing but a mug of coffee in my hand.

 _"You're such a small thing, scout. You should have a hearty breakfast." My father added in._

"Hm? Oh, I'm not really hungry. I usually eat brunch instead of breakfast." I explained to him halfheartedly, shrugging off the voice of my father.

"Alright, if you're sure." America replied after hesitating for a second, but then he went back to wolfing down the breakfast meal.

 _I wonder if I should take it as a compliment how much he's enjoying the food. Then again, he's not exactly known for having the best of taste buds._ I took another sip of my coffee while I turned the page of America's new favorite comic series, also known as Wonder Woman. I almost chuckled to myself as I read it, recalling how America had practically begged me to read it after he read the first couple of issues. The funny part wasn't how cliche and obvious the theme was in the graphic novel, but it was the thought that America might of had a crush on the female superhero. Considering the fact that his eyes literately gained hearts that were striped red, white, and blue when he simply heard Wonder Woman's name, unlike when he talked about Superman and they were star shaped, was an obvious sign to me.

"Hey, May!" America snapped me out of my reading and thoughts, and I looked up to see that he had finished all his food.

"Hey, America!" I copied his style of speaking, wondering what he wanted.

"What do we do now?" America asked, twitching in his seat with anticipation despite his injury.

"Um, what do you mean?" I questioned, unsure why he would ask me such a question.

"Since I'm not at work, I don't know what to do!" America mentioned, his facial expression resembling a lost child.

"...What do you normally do at work anyway?" I out of nowhere questioned him. America gained a shocked expression from my words, but his face soon faded until a light smile.

"Nothing much! Sometimes the Boss has me doing paperwork, other times I get to teach the new flyers what a real plane can do, and most of the time we just talk about battle plans." America explained, seemingly thinking very hard about his typical day.

"Sounds like it could be fun." I muttered, before thinking about the original question. "I guess you could be my spotter... I mean, I usually just practice around this time, but I don't really have anyone who could watch me." I offered casually.

"Really?!" America cheered up as if I had offered to take him to a football game.

"Sure. With you here, I'll feel better about trying out the harder moves." I replied easily. Truthfully, I usually limited what I practiced when I was alone in the house because any sane person knew it was dangerous to exercise or do anything physical without having someone who could watch out for you. Therefore, this opportunity was rare and well appreciated.

 _At least someone has my back for once._ A smile flew on my face at the thought.

* * *

 _10:18 am_

 _"Faster! I know you have been practicing and you can do better." My instructor mentioned to my ten year-old self._ I tried to ignore the voice and focus solely on my own heartbeat and the blood pumping throughout my body.

"So then I heroically came in and totally defeated all fifty- No! One _hundred_ of them by myself! And Britain was all pathetic and stuff, so he just stood there hiding in the bushes or something. I don't know what he was doing, but I was totally awesome!" America had managed to drag the phone line over to the gym, and he now sat in his wheelchair while he explained his heroic actions of the previous day to his brother. He had already alerted the other Allies to the reason behind his temporary sick time, his story becoming more fantastical and blown up with each retelling, and he had almost deemed the deed done until I had reminded him about a certain brother of his.

 _Wouldn't be America if he didn't blow up the tiniest of things._ I smirked a little to myself before I fell into a barrel roll, which I gracefully came out of into a standing position. My Aikido training didn't involve much gymnastics akin to what I was performing now, but I had already finished up one of the most extensive training sessions than I had done in a while, so I was trying to cool myself down and prepare to enter some dance routines.

 _I remember how we learned gymnastics in gym class, and I always fell when I tried to perform a cartwheel._ While I could laugh at myself now, I could still recall how frustrating it had been to know I was taking a martial arts class, yet I still had all these other kids showing me up by accurately performing cartwheels while I could only do a shaky handstand.

 _It's a good thing I had someone to teach me._ I smiled a little at the memory of when my friend tried to help me perform a cartwheel. Falling into a somewhat wobbly handstand, I recalled the teacher, or more specifically, best friend that aided me in elementary gym class.

 _"First you do this!" The blonde haired girl, with pale skin and an adult-like smirk, fell onto her hands so her legs went up in the air. Tons of other children were doing tumbles and rope climbing around us, but I tried to focus mainly on my friend ._

 _"Then you stick out your tongue and fall to the side." She stuck out her tongue with a determined look on her eight year old face before her body and long hair flew to the side._

 _"Are you sure the tongue thing is necessary?" I asked, once she walked back over, still on her hands._

 _"Of course! Snakes are the best acrobats 'cause they don't have bones, and we gotta copy them to be good too." Her voice displayed confidence, in complete contrast to her ridiculous appearance with her hair hanging downwards and part of her stomach showing since some of her orange shirt fell down._

 _"You're such a weirdo." I replied with a giggle._

 _"So are you." She stuck her tongue out as professionally as any kid could, and walked off to the padded mats._

"May?" America interrupted the memory, and was staring at me in confusion. His full attention was one me, and the phone in his hand was all but ignored while he stared.

"Huh?" I asked, coming out of my daze and realizing that I had somehow came back to a standing position without realizing it.

"Are you okay, dude?" America questioned, his expression near scrutinizing.

"Yeah, I'm perfect! Fine!" I could tell I had spoken to hastily the minute the words left myself, so I quickly aimed to deflect. "Actually, just realized something. Your whale didn't get breakfast, I can fix that for ya!" I had regained most of my composure as I started to hurry out of the gym room while brushing past America.

"But what about your dance practice?! Weren't you going to do that too?" America questioned loudly, as I hurried down the hall.

Unable to think of a response, I pretended the distance had made his words indistinguishable. Yet I think both of us were aware just how easy echos traveled in this place. It was just something I was sure both of us picked up on sometime while living in the house. Without a speaking companion, the silence let the smallest sounds travel for what seemed like miles, and I was sure that America had figured that out by now.

 _I wonder how he did it before I got here._ Being alone in a house, even a nice one like America, had to be pretty lonely.

I myself had started to realize that.

* * *

 _4:53 pm_

"Hey there." I started off, carrying a jug of coffee in my hands as I walked over to the outdoor pool. In response, the whale rose out of the water and sprayed out some water from his blow hole.

"Bet you're really hungry right now. Sorry about that." I gave a sheepish, guilty smile as I poured the entire container into the pool. For the majority of the day, I had been holed up in my room upstairs doing whatever I felt as long as it didn't involve going downstairs. After the training issue, I had intentionally tried to avoid America, and knowing that he might follow me to the kitchen, I had fled to the only place he was currently incapable of following me to without my assistance.

 _I'm surprised he's been so quiet._ America hadn't called me back, though I had managed to sneak downstairs and cook some simple hamburgers from the kitchen and leave them out for him for whenever he grew hungry. It was basically my way of apologizing for not explaining and for not replying to him earlier.

"Here's another jug too since I know you probably want dinner." I spoke kindly to the whale, who somehow managed to emit it's joy to me through body language, as I dumped another jug of coffee into the water.

"I'll be seeing you now." I finished off, trying not to speak too loudly as I hurried back into the house. I heard some strange noise in reply from the whale, which I took as a thank you. Once in the hallway, I glanced around the area before I decided to shuffle back to the kitchen.

 _It is around dinner time and even I feel slightly hungry now._ I was determined to make some type of meal when I felt my back stiffen, and I could tell I was no longer alone in the area.

"What's up, May?" America greeted as he wheeled in like a jet.

"I was wondering what we could have for dinner, that isn't burgers again." I clarified the last part when America was about to reply.

"Don't worry about that! We can just go out to eat!" America suggested happily, waving off my words.

"And how are going to leave? We, as in you, can't just walk there." I tried to explain.

"I know that! But you can drive us there." America told me, and I froze up as I recalled my words from last night.

 _I did tell him and Britain that I had my driver's license, and I could take America to places while he was incapacitated._

"Jeez, I'm not that bad of a cook, right?" I teasingly asked him, with a raised brow.

"WHAT?! I didn't-"

"Just messing with you, America." I gave him a light thump on the head as I grabbed the wheelchair handles, and started to push him forward.

"Oh... Hahahaha!" America laughed with a tinge of nervous tension in his voice once my words hit him.

"Great! 'Cause I think you would make a perfect housewife, dude! You cook all good and you're all awesome-" I knew America meant it as a compliment, but I gave a good whack on his head anyway.

"What did I do now?!" America cried out.

"Boy, please. I'm getting a househusband, and I'm never touching the stove again." I spoke with finality in my tone, trying not to let my amusement break through my game face. It didn't matter what I did though, because once the shock left America, both me and him fell into a fit of laughter. With my shoulder shaking due to the laughs, I felt a little lighter as I exited the house.

Our laughter leaving a cheerful echo in the once stale air of the building.

* * *

 _5:37 pm_

America and I had ended up going to some place called Potomac Park. There had been a young man selling food and beverages like hot dogs and soda, and America bought some for each of us. With his massive hunger, I had only managed to stop him at nine hot dogs and one large soda, but he still made that guy a very rich man. I too was a little upbeat as we settled in the grass near some pool of water. I had seen the area in movies and TV shows before, but it was a lot different seeing it in real life and during the 1940's.

"Spring is amazing!" America cheered, scarfing down the few hot dogs that remained. I continued to gaze across the water while I finished up my own hot dog.

 _The Washington Monument sure is cool looking._ The sun was lower in the sky, but not exactly setting. Still the sky was a range of blues and yellows to add to the beauty of the area. Personally, I thought the fact that there was hardly anyone out except me and America aided to the tranquil peace that I felt.

"You want anymore?" America asked me before he slurped loudly on the soda he had bought.

"No thanks, I'm pretty full." I told him honestly, fully aware he was also trying to find an excuse to hunt down the hot dog guy and get more food.

"If you're sure, dude." America begrudgingly agreed while he laid back in his wheelchair. Then we fell back into a moment of silence, though the sound of nature like the trees ruffling and birds chirping were still in the background.

 _I really need to go out more._ I thought somewhat whimsical.

"You can talk to me, remember?" America suddenly spoke up, causing me to turn my head and look up at him. Since I was sitting in the grass Indian style, he was taller than me as he stayed in his wheelchair.

"Um, what do you mean?" I couldn't fathom where America was coming from.

"I told you a little while ago that you can always talk to me whenever." America started off, sighing a little like he was disappointed.

"Yeah, I know." I replied a little quietly, feeling slightly unsettled by where America was heading.

"Then why haven't you been talking to me?" America asked, biting the inside of his cheek as he sent me a rather serious gaze.

"I have been. Every time you get back from work, we usually talk about how your day went and-" I cut myself off when America gave me a raised eyebrow and an expression that flatly stated, "You know that's not what I meant."

"...I'm a private person, America. I hardly tell anybody much about myself." I admitted with sincerity, looking down at the grassy earth.

"I'm not just anybody." America justified, not coming off as egotistical as it might of sounded to the outside viewer.

 _I'm your country. Your roommate. You're friend. Family because I've got some of you in me too._ I could hear the unspoken words in my head, and I tried not to let guilt get to me.

"Fine then, let's talk..." I began, causing America to give me a hopeful look as I stared back up at him. Stretching out my legs, I tried to be comfortable and loose as the words started to flow out.

"I'm worried because I'm in an uncertain situation. I'm not sure what I can do and I feel a little useless. I'm sad because I can't see any familiar faces. I'm wondering how badly my parents and friends are taking my disappearance from my world. I-I'm lost and I don't know... I just don't know." I felt my voice wobble and soften at the end, and I let my words trail off.

"...I wish I could do something for you, May." America started off, his voice warmer and fuller than usual.

"You already have." I told him, sending him a tender look of appreciation. He didn't reply, but the smile he sent back said it all.

"At the same time, I'd be lying if I didn't say I had fun too. I never thought I'd actually get to meet you or see Washington D.C... I was really excited to go somewhere new, just for the sake of going somewhere before I got sent to this world." I was starting to babble, but America allowed me to go on.

"In a way, it's kind of nice not having to worry about getting a job, studying for school, and maintaining a social life. Sure I miss a lot of things from home, but I'm starting to enjoy a lot of things in this world too. Sure, it's not the best time to be here, but it's nice when I don't think about it. There is just something freeing about having zero connections in an unfamiliar place." I tried to get everything out of my head and into words.

 _Just keep going._ I felt the aching weight leave me as the words kept coming.

"Sometimes I'm reminded of my parents or my friends when I do or see something. It's sad and I miss them, but the memories are good too."

America waited patiently as he played the role of the listener for once.

"There was this one time I looked at a candy store we passed by and I remembered how my father spilled hot chocolate all over himself... Then I saw a radio store and thought of an old song..."

I felt an idea hit me as I continued to ramble, my mouth instantly moving in autopilot mode as my mind went somewhere else.

 _Maybe I can help them too._ When I really thought about it, a couple of the nations sure had been helping me out for the past few months. With all the spare time I seemingly had in this world, I guessed it wouldn't be too hard to help them out too.

 _That's a nice purpose._ I was still speaking about something I did during senior prank and that one time my friend tripped on peanut butter, but I wasn't really focusing on it.

 _You've helped me._ I glanced over at America who I could tell was listening even though he was looking over the water.

 _And I promise I'm going help you with something long before I leave this world._ The words kept spewing out of my mouth, but I could hardly tell I was speaking as determination overflowed within me.

 _It's a deal._

* * *

"Time and **memory** are true artists; they remold reality nearer to the heart's desire." ~John Dewey

* * *

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	9. Chapter 9: Churning Waves

**Thanks all you wonderful readers for reviewing, following, and favoriting this story!**

 **Special thanks to** Alexe Starke **,** Thrill-Pair-All-The-Way **,** KazeHavensTsubakis **,** AttackOnRomano **,** MoonyLhama **,** watergoddesskasey **, and** Maga016 **!**

 **Why the special thanks? Because these guys have taken precious time out of their day to review this fanfic multiple times, and I think all of them deserve some recognition for that! You guys are awesome for inspiring me to write more!**

 **Anyway, hope you guys like this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Fine, I'll admit it... I'm secretly the creator of Hetalia! ...NOT!**

* * *

 **Length** (also known as Extent): A measured **Distance** or dimension

* * *

 _May, 1942_

The sky was a faded peach color full of ribbons, which were made of a pale orange and pink pigment. Being so early in the day, it was sunrise time, and I was glad to have the opportunity to view the sky during a moment where most people were asleep, and the world was near silent.

"Hey, May!" America's shout destroyed whatever tranquility I had felt, since his voice startled me out of my pleasant temperament. Therefore, I was mildly irritated by him as he exited the house and came over to my position on the front porch.

"Yes, America?" I asked without looking up. I was sitting cross legged on the ground with my eyes set on the sunrise. There was also a nice breeze going that constantly pushed back some of my hair, causing the blond strands to flow wildly behind me.

"What are you doing, dude?" America asked. He was obviously puzzled by my apparent lack of movement as he joined me on the porch and sat with his legs laying out in front of him.

"Just a little meditation. It helps me think more clearly." I replied. I hadn't had time to practice my martial arts this morning, which is what I usually used to clear my head, and I decided some meditation could have the same calming effect on me in replacement.

"What are you thinking about?" America continued on.

 _He's got an insatiable curiosity, just like a little kid._

"Take a guess. I'm thinking about how everything is going to go today." I said honestly, while I shifted out of my position and laid my legs out in front of me.

"Ya know, you really don't have to go! I can just have someone bring you food and stuff while I'm gone, if you want!" America misinterpreted what I had meant.

"America, we already went over this." I turned my head to give him a flat stare. "I don't have any problems coming with you. Actually, I'm pretty sure _I_ am the one who asked you if I could tag along." I spoke in a stern tone, looking straight at him without hesitance.

"I know, dude! I'm just making sure!" America said bashfully, while ruefully rubbing the back of his head.

"You've been 'making sure' practically every day since I asked you if I could come, and that was a week ago!" I felt some of my irritation slip into my voice, before I brushed it away. "You trying to tell me something? Hm? Trying to get rid of me?" I asked with a teasing smile and a raised eyebrow.

"What?!" America squawked as if offended by my implication. Though I merely chuckled at his antics, and went back to staring at the sunrise.

"Besides, it would get a bit boring without you around." I added with a nonchalant shrug. Taking in my words, America seemed to rapidly blink his eyes because of his surprise from my admission, before his face adjusted back into a wide grin.

"You just don't know how to live without me, dude!" America teased right back.

"Ha! I didn't say all that now." I said with a scoff, giving him a playful shove in the shoulder.

"I mean living without out you to wake me up at some inhumane hour, just to have breakfast with me, would be _sooo_ hard." I decided to indulge in some false dramatics, causing America to laugh loudly. "And actually getting some sleep on the weekends would be _unbearable_ , since you wouldn't be able to drag me off on some road trips! Plus I'll _definitely_ miss being fed hamburgers every time you have a lunch break, and you just _cannot_ go to some restaurant by yourself." America was practically gasping from his fit of laughter, which was caused by my sarcastic response, and I laughed back though I wasn't nearly as loud as him.

"See?! I knew you loved it!" America managed to toss back, before we both continued to laugh. Yet I could tell that the both of us knew how I honestly appreciated the time he took to spend with me as of late. Whether it was making sure I attended breakfast with him, went out to eat with him during his lunch break, or if he spent all of his free time with me so we could visit famous areas in the U.S., which he claimed all American citizens had to visit at least once. I knew America had certainly been putting effort in spending more time with me. I was also certain that it was his way of trying to help me, and I truly felt like it did remove some of the loneliness that crept up on me when I was home alone.

"We should probably get going then." America said after his laughing fit. Now he also was staring off at the sunrise, which had now almost completely turned into a regular day time sky and had gained more blue ribbons within it.

"Yup, no time like the present!" I replied as I easily stood up and America hopped up too.

"Let me just say goodbye to whale dude before we take off!" America said, suddenly holding a jug of coffee as he ran back into the house.

 _To think I was just getting used to living here._ After one month, I had gotten used to my new routine: get pestered out of bed by America, eat breakfast with America, train, dance practice, entertain myself (reading, watching TV episodes, playing apps on my phone, and sometimes studying college classes), hang out with America during his lunch break, eat dinner once America returned, and then sleep. Sometimes my routine changed up when I joined America in his meetings with the other nations, those still only being the meetings outside the U.S. since I was uncomfortable with idea of being home alone for too long, and I was certain America hardly wanted me out of his sight since our conversation a month ago.

 _It's too bad I don't have anyone to say goodbye to._ I hadn't talked to anyone extensively expect personifications during my entire time in the Hetalia world, and I hadn't bothered to actively meet anyone else except the nations. I was kind of alright with that since I was sure my unusual appearance would throw off the average person in this century.

 _I'm not wearing a frigging dress!_ I growled to myself, remembering how we discussed clothing choices after I asked to come along with America on this adventure, and he actually pointed out how he never saw me in a dress the entire time I had been here. I knew America didn't really care about what I looked like, but even he knew I would I stand out in this time period.

 _I've already dealt with the strange hair, but I could still fix up the clothes._ Since I knew I was going to be in the outside world for the duration of the trip, I had tucked all my dyed hair under a swimmer cap. Then, borrowing a baseball hat from America, I had covered up the cap so only my straightened blonde hair could be seen by the outside viewer. Also, I wore loose, army green capri pants, a black t-shirt, a silver dog tag necklace, and some brown hiking boots America had bought for me. I was hopeful that the clothing would at least help me sort of blend into the army, who I knew would be awaiting the arrival of me and America today.

 _No way this will help, but a girl can dream!_ I knew just the fact I was wearing pants would throw off the men, but I concluded there was simply nothing I was willing to do about that. Thus I let out a sigh, as I contemplated future events, until I heard America's loud foot stomps while he returned from the backyard and entered the house from the back.

 _He's right, I don't have to go._ I heard America's footsteps draw nearer, and I unconsciously dragged my luggage closer to myself.

 _But I have to see Britain immediately or who knows what could happen to me._ America was seconds away from the door behind me.

 _Who knows, maybe this could be fun._

"Let's go, May!" America shouted upon his return to the front porch.

"I'm ready!" I replied cheerfully, while I picked up my duffle bag and backpack before following him to the car. Since America was also holding tons of luggage, he didn't rush to get the car started, and I had ample time to throw my bags in the back seats, give the house one last look, and then take a seat upfront as usual.

"This is going be so great, dude! We're going to kick the Axis straight out of this war when we get to that island!" America cheered enthusiastically.

 _You and I both wish._ Just about a week ago, America came home from a meeting to explain how the Allies had received confirmation that the Axis were on some island near Australia. Originally I had resolved to stay home alone, but I remembered that I had been meaning to speak to Britain in private. There was something strange I had figured out that may have been involved with my travel into Hetalia, and I needed his advice since he was looking into my way back home. The only problem I had was how I could never seem to catch him alone at the Allies meetings, when I actually attended them, and even when I did find him alone, France or America would intrude before I could fully ask him my question. My other reason was I simply wouldn't like to be stuck in the house without a single companion _(whale dude doesn't count)_.

 _I miss my parents, my friends, my college campus, my-_ I brushed off the thoughts, as they reminded me of what went through my head when I was alone for too long. Unfortunately, without America as company, I was only able to occupy my brain for so long before my mind wandered into darker territories.

 _It wasn't so bad the first few months_. Originally, I hadn't felt too homesick since I could kind of trick my mind into treating this trip into Hetalia like I was just on my internship, one that would end soon and then I would return to college. Yet, as the months passed, my brain started to remind me that winter break was not coming up, and I wouldn't be going home to see my parents soon.

 _In fact, it could be a while before I see home again._ The negative thought slipped in, and I smacked it aside, but the homesickness lingered. The feeling of longing had been getting less noticeable in the past month, thanks to America, but some days it was hard not to notice. No longer did I go to bed without catching sight of America or wake up to a house devoid of my country's presence, since he was home much more often. Plus, whenever he got a free day, he offered to take me somewhere, go for a drive, play some game, or simply just talk to me. Overall, I actually enjoyed listening to America's retellings of his day, even if I never got to speak up, for I found it comforting to just hear another person speak to me and be able to push aside sad thoughts to the back of my head.

 _I wonder if he still worries about me._ I glanced at America who was once again speed driving, though it was mainly from excitement to get his adventure started than to out run the weather.

 _It does kind of look like a storm is coming though_. It was sunny, but I could see a couple of dark grey clouds in the sky and I had a feeling it might rain today or tomorrow.

"Look May, were almost there!" America cheered as he parked his car in the same place I had first saw it, right next to the army base.

 _This is going to be so cray cray... But I wouldn't miss it for the world._ I thought confidently, as I gazed at the familiar airplane in the distance.

 _Just give me one normal experience, Hetalia... Is that too much to ask?_ I begged silently in my mind.

* * *

I had a scowl set firmly on my mouth as I glanced up at the sky and allowed the water droplets to greet my face.

 _Hetalia world, why?!_

I and America had arrived on the island, and to both of our dissatisfaction, it had started to pour just a few minutes after we strode out the airplane.

"No fair! I can't fight in the rain like this!" America shouted, obviously disappointed with the foul weather. Looking back down at the earth, I noted that the sand and dirt was starting to soften from the rainy weather and transform into mud, which led me to notice how many soldiers around us were starting to gain muddy smudges on their boots.

"Don't worry, I'm sure it won't last all day." I encouraged him. I was certain I couldn't recall it ever raining while the Allies and Axis were on this island, so I felt confident that the rain would last a few hours at most.

"It better end soon! I was so ready to beat them!" America continued to whine, as he and I headed over to a large, dark blue tent.

"This is ours?" I questioned, after me and America rushed under the tent's protection.

"Of course, dude! I wanted to get you a tent of your own but someone didn't pack enough of them!" America explained, sounding mildly irritated for my sake, while he dropped off his luggage on the left side of the tent. Thus I examined the sparse area we were in, only to first of all notice that it was the largest tent I had ever been in, being the size of a small bedroom, and the only furniture in it was two cots and a short, long table behind the cots.

 _At least I won't have to sleep on the muddy ground._ The floor was still dirt without a tarp laid over it, and I could see the wet spots our damp shoes had created when we rushed in.

"It's not a big deal, America." I shrugged off the inconvenience of sharing a tent. "We're technically already roommates back at your house." I replied, while America tucked his luggage under his cot. I followed suit and shoved my duffle bag under the shelter my cot made.

"You can stay here, dude, but I've got to go let them know we've arrived!" America told me, before he reluctantly ran out into the storm.

 _It's too bad he doesn't have an umbrella... or he could just put his jacket over his head. If only he used his logic more often._ I thought idly, while I started to cautiously pulled out my phone by removing it from its waterproof case in my bag. Placing the small plastic box to the side, I started to type in the Google search engine on my phone. I then pulled up the WWII history timeline to see what was supposed to be happening in WWII currently.

 _Hm, U.S. warships stop a Japanese invasion forced heading to New Guinea. I guess we're on some island near that place... Maybe Japan was heading there when the Axis got shipwrecked on this island._ I wasn't a hundred percent sure that what happened in my world's version of this war would happen in this war, but the evidence did fit current circumstances. America was on this island, and Japan was too. It was possible that the Axis and Allies confrontation here represented what was actually happening in the war during this month back in my world's history.

 _BOOM!_ I was startled a little bit when thunder roared in the air and a flash of lightning followed.

 _Maybe I was wrong and this storm will last all day._ I sighed at the thought before I jumped again. Though this time I wasn't startled by the weather, but the shadow that suddenly jetted out from under my cot did surprise me.

"A-Alfie?!" I slipped my phone back into the airtight, plastic box I brought it in and crouched down beside my cot. To my confusion, America-cat really was sitting there under the darkness of my cot.

 _How did he get here?_ _Last time I saw him was over three weeks ago._ Ever since I let America-cat into the house that winter night, he often slipped in and out of the place. Sometimes I fell asleep only to wake up the in the middle of the night and find that America-cat was huddling under the covers with me. Other times I would let America-cat in at night, only to wake up the next day and find he was nowhere near the house.

 _He did that a lot during the winter._ America-cat came home often, but ran away to who knows where just as often as he arrived. Yet once it became warm during the spring, I rarely saw him as much.

 _I only saw him once last month._ I recalled as I continued to stare at the dry cat under my bed.

"You can come up if you want to, Americat." I called the feline by one of my many nicknames for him to encourage him to come out, and I patiently waited for America-cat to cautiously step out from under the cot and jump onto the soft-cushioned bed I had perched on.

"You know, I'm going to have a hard time feeding you here. I doubt there's much tuna available for meals." I told him, as he started to play with the loose strings hanging off the side of my cot.

 _I'm surprised America never figured out what I was doing._ Back when America-cat was around in the winter, I sometimes fed him pieces of tuna that I got out of America's fridge, but America never questioned whether I knew anything about the tuna cans going missing.

 _Maybe he didn't even notice they were gone._ America mainly did bring home fast food, and he never really cooked at home, so I wasn't too shocked at the idea that one can of tuna disappearing every now and then wouldn't be noticed by him.

"Meow!" America-cat shouted before suddenly jumping off the bed and ducking under the cot.

 _He sure is more aware of his surroundings than I thought._ The tent flap was ripped open just as the cat's tail disappeared under the bed.

"America, we need to discuss-" Britain stopped whatever he was going to say when he noticed I was the only one in the tent.

"May? What are you doing here?" Britain asked, surprise coloring his tone.

"Didn't America tell you I was coming with him?" I asked, wondering if America forgot to mention me _(again!)_.

"If he mentioned it to anyone, it wasn't me." Britain sounded, as typical, annoyed. "Where is that twat anyway?" Britain asked me with hint of aggravation, which I knew had more to do with his trouble of tracking down America than my presence.

"He said he had to go tell some generals or something that we had arrived." I explained.

 _Now that Britain's here, maybe this is my chance. I can finally ask him about-_

"I told that fool to be here and wait for me! Now how I'm going to tell him about the Allies plans?!" Britain was obviously angered by America's absence, which caused me to grow distracted.

"You could wait here for him, or you could just tell me and I'll pass along the message." I offered, stopping Britain from ranting on about America.

"I can't stay here for long, but since you offered, I guess you will do." Britain huffed out. "Tell America that the Allies will be holding a meeting in one hour at the _French_ encampment." Britain spoke with some disdain in his voice and a grimace planted on his face. It was obvious that he wasn't looking forward to being at that particular location for the meeting.

"Sure, I'll let him know when he gets back." I assured Britain, giving him a small smile. Though the smile faded as curiosity took over when I noticed that Britain's clothes weren't too soaked, and he had much less water on his clothes than America and myself did.

 _Is the rain slowing down?_ I hadn't heard any thunder or seen lightning since that single burst, which had startled me, minutes ago.

"Wonderful. If only more Americans could be as reliable as you." Britain muttered as he opened the tent flap and walked out.

"Meow! Meow!" America-cat shot out from under my cot once Britain had left the area, and I noticed the fur on his back stood up while he shouted in his own way.

 _If he heard what Britain said, I bet he's feeling insulted._ I myself wasn't sure whether to take Britain's words as a compliment or insult.

"Calm down, Ameri-bro. I'm sure he didn't mean it." I leaned over my cot and gave him a couple of soft pats on the head. Thus America-cat turned back to me, still a little angry, but starting to relax his rim rod position.

"Stop sulking and I'll give you a back rub." I said overly sweet. Within seconds, America-cat leapt up onto the cot and stretched himself out on my legs. Honoring our agreement, I started to stroke America-cat's back and even gave him a scratch behind the ears.

America-cat purred in response to my petting, and I had to stop myself from having a kawaii meltdown at the way he squinted his eyes in contentment.

 _He's so cute!_ I truly couldn't help myself when it came to things like this; cute things just had full control over me.

 _He's just as affection seeking as America is._ Usually I didn't like thinking about who and what America-cat really was, and I tried hard not to notice the similarities between himself and human America. It was just a little awkward grasping how a cat was possibly older than me, as intelligent as me, and possibly even had the ability to speak like me.

 _He looks so normal._ As I continued to rub America-cat, I tried to stop thinking about how much he truly was like the America I lived with.

 _I'm almost glad I can't see his eyes since he is squinting._ I also avoided looking at America-cat's eyes, despite their beautiful color, because I always saw more than I wanted to. When I really stared into them, I didn't see the blankness that most animals possessed, but I saw a type of understanding and knowledge that appeared down right unnatural on a cat's face.

 _It's thoughts like these that once again remind me why I don't like being home alone for too long._ I stopped rubbing America-cat and he quickly halted in his purring.

"Meow!" America-cat protested, standing up on my legs and staring up at me.

"Hey! I never said I was going to pet you all day." I told America-cat sternly, and he walked off of me in near dejection.

"Meow." I wasn't sure what America-cat meant, but he hopped off the cot and dove back under it again.

"Aw, don't be like that Ameri-"

"Yes!" The sudden voice startled me into silence. "The rain is gone! Isn't this amazing, dude?!" America victoriously shouted as soon as he entered our tent like a speeding train.

 _I can see clearly nowww, the rain is gone!_ I sang in my head before deciding to say something in reply.

"Great, now you can work off all that energy." I mumbled, noticing his rapid pacing around the room.

"I am so pumped for this battle!" America continued on as he finally took a seat on his bed.

 _I should probably pass on the message before he runs off somewhere._

"Britain stopped by. He wanted to tell you the Allies are holding a meeting in about forty minutes at France's encampment." I told America, causing him to grow more ecstatic.

"Oh yeah! Now I can tell them all about the awesome battle ideas I thought up!" America cheered at the news.

"I'm sure they'd love to hear them." I was joking, but I doubted America could hear my humor over his own joyous shouts.

"You coming with me?" America asked, still shaking with anticipation.

"No thanks, I'll just hang back here." I replied after a moment of consideration. I would've went if I thought I would have time to speak to Britain alone, but I doubted he would have the time in the middle of a battle strategy meeting.

"Okay, dude! It's your loss!" America still seemed to be enjoying the thought of tonight's possible battle.

"Heh, come back and tell me how it all goes." I knew America wouldn't exactly find the battle he was eager for, and I found the irony to be a little funny.

"Sure thing, dude! I'll tell you all about my heroic battle against the Axis!" America cheered just as easily.

 _Maybe after their not-battle tonight, I can finally talk to Britain._ It occurred to me I hadn't gotten the chance to mention my issue to Britain when he had been in the tent earlier, but I knew another opportunity was bound to come up.

"I can't wait! I'm going to head over there now!" America sprang up from his bed.

"I'll see ya later, dude!" America shouted before hurrying back out the flap of our tent.

 _I could explore, but I'm more about that lazy life._ I sighed as I removed my dripping boots and then tossed myself back to lay across the cot.

 _I'm not tired, but I just don't feel like moving._ I closed my eyes, and started to fall into a daze.

 _Blue..._

 _Ocean of blue._

 _The ocean was roaring with staticzzzZZZZzzzz_

 _Come. Don't go. Herezzz_

 _Blue blue blue blue_

 _Under the waves._

 _The blue got brighter._

 _ZzzzzzzHomezzzz_

"Ah!" I shot up with a gasp, my hands flailing upwards and my chest heaving deeply.

"What the heck was that?!" My voice was of a higher pitch and breathy, while I heard the buzzing recede from my head and the impressions I felt leave me.

 _Was I dreaming?_ Somehow I just knew I had been dreaming that same dream, which hadn't visited me for months, but I couldn't remember anything solid about it. I also could feel that something about this dream had been different, but whatever it was, I simply couldn't remember.

"I wonder if I should also mention this to Britain." My voice shook as I spoke.

"Meow!" I heard America-cat speak up and I looked down to see him staring up at me from my lap.

"I'm fine, Alfie. Just fine." I felt as if I choked on the words, and America-cat continued to stare at me but made no sounds as he lightly stepped off of me.

 _How long was I asleep?_ I questioned myself when I noticed the darkness around me, and I tugged out my phone from my bag. With my nerves still frazzled but my heart rate back to normal, I squinted at the light from my phone.

 _And there goes my calm!_ I was startled to read that it was now nine at night, when I was certain that I had laid down no longer than an hour ago at four.

 _Something is very wrong with me. I must talk to Britain._ I looked over to the other side of the now shadow filled tent only to see that the cot was empty.

 _He's not back yet? Fine, I'll find them._ I fully sat up and started to put my boots back on my feet.

"Meooow?" America-cat spoke up when I stood up from the cot.

"I'll be back. Just make sure you're hidden when I return because America will probably be coming back with me." I spoke in a hurry before opening the tent flap and rushing out.

 _They said they were at France's encampment, right?_ I looked around the dark camp before I spotted a couple of army men standing around. I walked over to them and their conversation immediately died down when I approached them.

"Excuse me, sirs, but do either of you know how to get to the French encampment?" I asked politely, as my parents had raised me to be. Both of the soldiers stared at me for a second, out of what looked like bewilderment, before the blond one shook himself out his stupor.

"I know where, ma'am. It's a straight shot in that direction." The soldier pointed to the right, and I could see a clearing in the trees that surrounded us over there. "You just follow the path and you'll be there soon."

"Great. Thanks for the info." I said with a grateful smile that felt forced and tense. I then turned towards the direction the soldier had pointed at and began to trek towards the greenery.

"Wait! Don't you need an escort?" The brown haired soldier decided to speak up and I turned back around.

"No thanks, but I appreciate the offer." I shrugged off his words and hurried towards the path ahead. I couldn't tell whether the soldier had asked because I was a female or simple courtesy, but I didn't really care.

 _I need to speak to Britain._ That was the only thought on my mind as I rushed into the thin forest and headed towards France's encampment.

* * *

Trudging through the forest actually wasn't that bad since a lot of the plants were simply palm trees and flowers. As the soldier had said, there was a relatively clear path to France's encampment that was carved into the sandy, vacant ground.

 _I'm almost there._ It took no more than ten minutes for me spot a couple of faint lights up ahead of me.

 _Now all I've got to do is find Britain, get him alone, and tell him what I might have figured out._ I no longer felt nearly as much anxiety as I had felt when I first woke up, but the need to find Britain brought me some anxiousness. Eager to rid myself of the stress and resolve the issue at hand, I picked up the pace and practically jogged the rest the way.

 _I'm not even sure they're still here._ I didn't see a cliff in sight or hear any waves crashing, so I doubted that the encampment was near the battle area I saw in Hetalia. I glanced around the area, hoping to catch sight of a familiar blond head or anything familiar really.

"Une dame? Qu'est ce que tu fais la?" A French soldier interrupted my thoughts as he stared at me in a way that I found oddly familiar.

"Um, what?" I asked out loud, a little confused by the lack of English. I had taken Spanish over the other languages which were offered at my high school, and while some of what he said made sense, I wasn't a hundred percent sure what he said to me.

 _"Une" sounds like "un" which in Spanish translates to "a". I know "dame" was used more commonly in 1940's English to say "lady". "Qu'est" sounds like "que" from Spanish, which means "what". Plus "tu" is how a person says "you" in Spanish as well... So he said something about "a lady" and "what" she is doing maybe?_ French and Spanish were pretty similar languages, and since I had been taking Spanish for over four years, it was sometimes easy to get the general idea of what people said when they spoke French to me.

"Mademoiselle, are you lost?" The French soldier's accent was much more thicker than France's and he seemed to struggle to speak the English words, but I was grateful for his sudden switch to my primary language.

"I'm looking for Francis." I stated and the man seemed a little confused by my statement.

"The general? I think he and his group went over there." The Frenchman stated hesitantly, still staring intently at me.

"Okay. Thanks, Monsieur." I replied in a distracted manner as I headed in the direction he pointed me to.

"Of course, a beaute' such as yourself is always welcome here." The French soldier's words made me freeze in my tracks for a second.

 _D-did he just hit on me?_ I asked myself before I unlocked my limbs and pushed forward. I soon became aware, however, that there were a few more soldiers hanging around outside and all of them were staring at me in way that seemed so familiar. A few of them were trying to hide the staring, but most just stared at me openly.

 _I know that these guys probably haven't seen a woman since they entered the war, but this is a bit excessive._ I also heard them start to speak among each other and words like amour, charmant, attirant, and femme started to be mentioned much more frequently. Though I didn't need to know Spanish or French to understand the universal body language of the men around me, and that was when I realized just why their expressions were so familiar.

 _They're all looking at me like France?! ...Ok, deuces, but I'm out!_ I subtly hurried into the forest with the stares and words trailing off behind me.

 _I know Hetalia is a world full of stereotypes, but I can't believe every man in the French encampment is some sort of pervert or ladies man!_ If every encampment followed the same pattern, then I figured the worst other camp to be in would be at Russia's.

 _Now that is a thought that would scare even Freddy Krueger._ I shuddered as I imagined a group of tall, scary Russians, who resembled Russia in nearly every way, being somewhere in my proximity. Frightening myself thoroughly, I shook my head roughly as I trudged faster through the forest.

 _They better pop up soon-_

"Why are we even doing this, aru?" I heard a voice groan somewhere in front of me, and I suddenly caught a whiff of smoke.

 _Ah, so it's this episode._ I approached the scent of smoke and the location of the voices after I slowed down my pace.

 _Finally, I found them._ I thought happily, seeing the glow of fire just a few feet to the left of me.

"I already told you, dude! We're showing up the Axis with our awesome s'mores skills!" America replied.

"I still think this is stupid." Britain chided, sitting with his arms crossed beside America. He held no stick to roast with, unlike America who had at least five marshmallows stuffed onto one stick.

"You are just mad we did not let you summon evil spirits!" France argued back.

"Da, I enjoy the cooking of the marshmallow." Russia spoke up with that creepy smile of his while cooking a marshmallow to the point of it being mainly black ash.

"So this is what you guys consider defeating the Axis? Roasting marshmallows?" I asked teasingly, deciding to make my presence known.

"Dude, when did you get here?!" America shouted, voicing the question I could see on everyone's startled faces.

"I just found you guys a few seconds ago, so not too long." I said, before taking a seat in the space between America and Britain.

"But seriously, you guys are making s'mores?" I asked, even though I knew the answer.

"You can blame this idiot, it's his fault." Britain pointed accusingly at America with a stick he suddenly picked up.

"Whatevermmph. MmmphStupidmff." America replied with food stuffed in his mouth, so no one understood what he said, but at least we got the idea it wasn't anything good about Britain.

"Don't talk with your mouth full!" Britain shouted indignantly at America, like a parent scolding a child for their bad manners.

"What brings you here, small girl?" Russia asked me, and I felt a nervous sweat drop form on my face.

 _Oh man, I totally didn't think of what to tell them!_ I was in such a rush to find the Allies, that I hadn't thought of what to tell them as an excuse.

 _I can't tell them the truth or that would defeat the purpose of me waiting so long to speak to Britain!_ I hesitated, so I could think up a response before my mouth opened just to give out some lame excuse.

"Is it not obvious? She is here to see me of course!" France interrupted my silent panicking, and even sent a flirtatious wink in my direction.

"France, I may not have a hamburger on me, but s'mores can be just as sticky as the sauces in those burgers." My voice held a warning, and I watched France lose confidence for a minute.

"Besides, I've had enough of perverted French fries for tonight. Considering I had to go through your encampment to get here." I stated, still a little disturbed by my encounter with the French army men.

"I can agree with your sentiment." Britain seemed happy to agree with my statement, and he even had a smug smirk on his face.

"I'm sure it was better than the sorry excuse of a welcome you would have gotten from Britain's camp!" France shouted back at Britain, his anger easily riled up by him.

"Why you-"

"Dudes!" America interrupted them with an oblivious grin. "Why don't we all just agree that none of you guys could give a better welcome than my army!" America concluded happily, probably believing he was solving a problem instead of starting another one.

 _Fight! Fight! Fight_! I was happy to have the spotlight away from myself, and I was glad to see everyone's attention was back to the others.

"At least she would not go blind just from looking at my army, unlike with yours!" France ranted at Britain, appearing ready to stand up and attack the island nation.

"At least my men look uniformed! Unlike some nations' army!" Britain sent a pointed look towards America.

"What?! Maybe you're old age is getting to you because you clearly can't see!" America tossed back at Britain, doubtlessly offended.

"Why am I surrounded by children, aru?" China sighed, obviously finding their squabble to be annoying.

"It is fun watching stupid nations argue." Russia said, getting some sort of strange pleasure from watching the argument.

"FRANCE IS THE OLD ONE, NOT ME!" Britain was turning red as he shouted, while vehemently gesturing at France.

"Honhon!" France sarcastically chuckled. "Yet I still look much better than you! Just ask the women!" France scoffed before sending me a lewd glance, as if I would confirm his idea. I would have just rolled my eyes, but I noticed that two other nations had turned to me in expectation as well.

"No way one of my American dames is into you!"

"Rubbish! May can tell you herself how she feels!" Britain scowled at France, before staring at me with a hint of encouragement in his eyes.

 _No way out of this? Then I guess I've got no choice except to answer. If I'm lucky, maybe it will shut them up._

"Actually, when I watched you guys from my world, I always thought Britain was much more attractive than you, France." I spoke with a shrug.

"How could you!" France grasped his heart as if I had shot him.

"For real?! You actually liked seeing this limey?!" America shouted as if he was mildly horrified.

"W-what?" Britain sputtered and I saw his cheeks turning red as he gazed at me with wonder.

 _Oh great, I didn't dose this fire. I've added frigging fuel!_ I realized I made an error in my speech, but it was too late to take back.

"Not necessarily in the way you're thinking." I tried to save myself. "Back in my world, I hadn't known you guys were actual people, so like most people that watched you guys, I had my favorites and people I liked to see more of than others... And maybe I thought some of you guys were better looking than others back then, but I can't say I feel the same now that I know you're all real." I explained, and waited for the nations' reactions.

"So back then, I was totally you're favorite, right?" America announced, giving me a wide smile that almost looked like a smirk.

"What?!" I couldn't help but be startled by his implication.

"It's okay, dude! I know I'm the best looking one here!" America continued and I knew he was getting a little smug.

"How do you know?! Perhaps she liked me better than you!" Britain suggested haughtily, with his arms crossed. I could tell he still wasn't over my announcement though, as he hadn't looked at me when he spoke and a tinge of red was still on his cheeks.

"It could be me, da?" Russia spoke up, and I was unnerved by the grin he sent me. The creepiest part wasn't for the normal reason though, but the fact that it seemed he was trying to win me over with his smile.

 _R-Russia got moves?!_

"NOT ON YOUR LIFE, COMMIE!" America growled, ready to tackle Russia and slightly moving in front of me.

"She probably prefer me because of my wisdom." China stated calmly, but I could hear some pride in his tone.

"You are all wrong! She loved to see me most, she was simply in denial!" France moved on from my insulting statement, and had the audacity to send a triumphant smirk in my direction.

 _So this is what happens when you're stuck as the only girl in an all male group._ Technically, the nations were not fighting over me, but they were really arguing over themselves and how they personally thought they looked to women. It was essentially an ego contest happening between them, and I was caught somewhere in the middle of it all.

 _There's no right way to end this but I started it, albeit accidentally, and I have to end it before someone ends up maimed._

"If I tell you who my top ten nations were, will you guys chill?!" I asked, shouting to make sure I was heard over the ruckus.

"Yeah, dude! Tell them how I'm you're number one!" America was fast to agree.

"I'll tell you who my top ten nations were, but I won't tell you them in chronological order. You can decide for yourselves what order you think I had them in." I explained firmly.

"That is fine! I know where I am even if you do not admit it!" France agreed and I saw Russia and China nod to show they also agreed.

"Well, go on, May. We agree to your terms." Britain tried to sound like he didn't care what I said, but I could tell he was eager to hear my opinion.

 _I could lie... But honesty is always the best policy, no matter what anyone tells me._

"Hm, in random order it would be... Norway, North Italy, Britain, Japan, Iceland, America, South Italy, Denmark, Canada, and Thailand." I spoke slowly, as I purposely tried to mix up the order.

"..." Silence ensued for a couple of moments as they digested the information.

"See! I told you dudes that I was her number one!" America was the first to shake off the shock due to the results of my list.

 _I bet he stopped listening after he heard his name._ I could feel myself sweat drop at my own nation's egotistical tendencies.

"Oh, come off it! None of us know who was her favorite!" Britain shouted in anger, but I knew he wished he could figure out how I truly felt back then.

"I was not on her list simply because I am too good to be categorized with you unfashionable people!" France lied to himself, and I stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I am too old for this immature game." China muttered, and I couldn't tell if he actually cared that he wasn't on my list or not.

"Her list does not matter. All want to be one with me." Russia assured himself, and I swore I could see a purple mass forming behind him.

"If you guys are done admiring yourselves, I suggest we head back to our separate encampments. It's getting late." I stood up, and dusted the leaves and dirt off my pants.

"Yeah, dude! I need to get back and eat some dinner!" America got up too.

"You ate fourteen s'mores! How are you still hungry?!" Britain shouted, aghast with how much America could eat. America didn't reply to him though, just started to walk away after saying, "Let's go, May!"

I started to jog along side America, when I suddenly had the urge to say one last thing.

"Before I go, since I'm sure it could cause some fights if I don't say it now, know that none of you were my favorite!" I looked back at the group to see shock written on their faces, and I could feel America staring at me as I continued by stating, "Personally, I always thought Canada was the best looking of you all!" With that said, I walked away from the dumbfounded group and passed by America, who had froze after my words.

"Nooo! Mon enfant has surpassed me!" France's cry of shock was the only comprehensible voice I heard among the loud babble of speech I heard rise up from the group. I sighed with an amused smile on my face, while I walked away from their shouts.

 _Boys will be boys._

* * *

"Meow!" America-cat ran from his hiding place and jumped onto my cot, once he saw it was only me.

"I'm back, hold your applause." I said teasingly as I took a seat on the cot and started to undo my boot laces.

"Meooow." America-cat nudged his head against my arm and I gave him a few pets on his back.

"You better get under the covers though, or America might see you when he comes in." I told the cat, even though it was pretty dark in the encampment, with maybe one lantern on somewhere outside as the sole light source.

"Meow meow." America-cat agreed to my plan and hurried under the covers with only his head sticking out.

 _America is in bed with me. Wow, that can be taken so wrongly._ I took off my hat and finally removed the swimmers cap underneath to let my hair free.

 _I can't believe the curls survived._ My blue-purple hair hadn't lost too many waves after being tucked away all day.

 _It's too bad I still didn't get a chance to tell Britain about my issues._ I laid myself on the cot and pulled the covers over me and America-cat. I made sure my body was on the left of him so no one would see him immediately when they entered the tent. Then I closed my eyes just as I heard another person enter the area. Yet I knew it was America who came in, so I didn't move from my position.

"When did it get so late?" America whispered to himself, before I heard him yawn, and I could tell he was trying to be quiet because he probably thought I was already asleep.

"Goodnight, May." I heard America mumble softly as he flopped onto his cot, probably speaking out of habit.

 _Night, America._ I thought, too exhausted from today's events to actually speak. Falling closer to true sleep, I heard crickets' chirps in the background play like a lullaby in my brain, and with the memory of the campfire in my head, I almost felt like I was home. My parents did use to take me on camping trips in the many forests within our city, and the forest sounds were familiar. So perhaps my true home was much more than an ocean away, but for tonight, it didn't matter.

I was with America, I was at peace, and that was enough home for me.

* * *

"For time is the longest **distance** between two places." ~Tennessee Williams

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Next time, prepare to see much more interaction between May and the other nations on that island!**

 **Also, please leave a review because I just love reading them!**

 **Bye nows!**


	10. Chapter 10: In the Distance

**All you reviewers, followers, and people that favorited this story are my inspiration! I really appreciate you guys (I say this like every chapter, but I really mean it)!**

 **Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Also, if your going on winter break soon or it already started for you, I hope its an awesome vacation for you!**

 **Disclaimer: I claim this anime in the name of... actually, I got nothing. I really don't own Hetalia!**

* * *

 **Eternity** (also know as Timeless): Having no **Beginning** and no end in time; seeming to last forever

* * *

"You wouldn't believe what I had to do just to get this." I told America-cat while I entered the tent. He had been playing with some baseball that had been lying around on the floor, but stopped when he saw what I cradled in my hands.

"MEOW!" America-cat sprang up onto the bed and it almost appeared like his eyes held sparkles _(looks freaky on this America too!)_ as he looked at the piece of salmon I was carrying in a tin bowl.

"We can share since I'm not too hungry." I told him, giggling from how antsy America-cat was acting. It was sort of ridiculous how he hopped around me in circles, while shouting with joyous meows, and then stood on his hind legs, with his paws lifted towards the sky, like standing such a way would help him reach his desired meal faster.

"Be patient, Ameri-bro." I told him while I took a seat on my cot and cut the salmon in half with my fork. I then made sure to cut one of the halves into smaller pieces so America-cat could eat them without trouble.

"Catch." I threw two pieces of fish in America-cat's direction, causing him to lean back further on his hind legs to reach them. Though off balance, somehow he succeeded in catching both in his mouth and swallowing them whole. However, he nearly threw himself off the side of the bed in the process, and he barely managed to fall on his back at the very edge of the cot.

 _It's good thing they made salmon for dinner today._ I was worried America-cat would have trouble finding food since he was on an island and I wasn't sure he knew how to catch fish in an ocean like a wild animal. I was uncertain how right I was about him though, since I knew little about his fishing skills, but I wanted to be on the safe side.

 _Not bad for war time rations._ I was sure that the only reason we had any meat available was because some of the soldiers had gone fishing in their spare time.

 _That or this crazy world was feeling bad for me._

"Meeooww." America-cat whined. Having rolled over to his feet and now lightly tugging on the hem of my shirt with his teeth, his eyes were zeroed in on the rest of the fish pieces.

 _I bet a fish burger would make him think this was a cat paradise._ I scooped up the rest of the pieces off my plate and gave it to him in one hand, while I continued to eat my share by setting the bowl on my lap and using my other fork-filled hand to pick at the fish.

 _I'm already full..._ I ate the last bite of my fish half, and swallowed it a little roughly.

 _I finished half a salmon and I'm full._ I felt a touch of worry at the thought, but assured myself that the matter would be resolved soon.

 _I'll ask Britain tonight, no later._ I shrugged off the worry, but thoughts of my main reason for going on the island lingered. It had taken me two months to accept what I noticed was happening to me, a month more to gather evidence, and all of last month to consider talking to someone about it.

"Mmeowrr." America-cat made a satisfied noise once he gobbled up the last of the meal, and then he stretched out beside me.

"You're adowable, you know?" I patted America-cat on the head, giving in to the kawaii. Thus the cat rolled around onto his back, and rocked side to side, with his tail swinging back and forth as if to say, "You know it and so do I!"

 _Maybe I shouldn't feed his ego so much._ Placing the empty bowl to the side, I decided to show him some more love by giving him a belly rub for a few moments.

 _I've never had a pet cat before, but now I'm considering it._ America-cat was in some sort of fur ball heaven if the dreamy, content look he had while I rubbed him was evidence of anything.

 _But what else should I do to finish up the day?_ It was late afternoon and the army men had alright set up some lanterns outside in preparation for the coming night, but I felt antsy myself for some reason.

With a sudden urge to move, I announced, "We should go for a walk before America gets back." Thus I hopped off the bed and America-cat was quick to roll off my cot and join me outside.

 _It smells so fresh out here_. Something I had noticed about life on the island was that everything felt so clean. The air was fresh with a fine aroma of sea salt and natural vegetation, and the scenery was a photographer's dream land.

 _I wish I could pull out my phone and snap some pics._ I inhaled deeply to take in the freshness of the air as I reached the outskirts of the camp grounds, which meant I barely entered the forest area. America-cat was already ahead of me, and seemed to be enjoying himself as he playfully pounced on random vegetation and sniffed the ground in seemingly random places.

 _I wish I could practice my training here._ It felt odd whenever I missed a day of training, since I had been doing it every morning and sometimes at night for the past four months, and that's not including how often I had been practicing since I was little. Also, I missed the feeling that came when I trained, that sense of weightlessness and adrenaline was dearly longed for by myself, even though it had only been two days.

 _A necessary sacrifice, I guess. Don't need to traumatize the army men any more than my pants wearing has already._

"May, I'm back!" America shouted, breaking the tranquil silence of the night. I discreetly looked around to see that America-cat had disappeared, most likely hiding already, as America approached me.

"You're back early. Did something happen?" I asked, though I had a good idea of what might of happened during the "battle".

"What? Naw, dude, it was awesome!" America continued walking back towards our tent and I followed. "I heroically led the Allies against the evil Axis, and we totally sent them packing!" America proclaimed, striking a hero pose once again.

"So you guys defeated the Axis?" I asked suspiciously since I already knew the answer, while he pushed open the tent flap and we strode in.

"Not exactly, but we almost did! If they hadn't brought out their evil weapon of doom then we would of had them!" America sounded confident in his words while he took a seat. Yet I had to stifle my laughter at his description of "Grandpa Rome", as Italy called him, but I didn't want to ruin his moment.

"Nice to hear that you're enjoying yourself." I replied.

"I know, it's so cool! It's way better than just sitting around and talking about stuff!" America was in high spirits as he sat on his cot and continued to talk to me.

"Talking about it is one thing, actually doing something is another." I replied neutrally. I never believed physical fighting was the answer to anything, but I could understand America's yearning for action _._ I had been longing to run around the island and train, and I knew how much better it felt to just move over talking things out sometimes.

"Just talking is lame! Action is where the real fun is at!" America seemed high off adrenaline, and I wondered if he would be able to fall asleep soon.

 _Maybe I can tune him out and rest my eyes._ It was unlikely considering that I was a light sleeper, but I hoped for the best while I removed what covered up my hair and kicked off my boots.

"Tomorrow we'll be back and not even that stupid weapon will stop me, the hero, from defeating the Axis-"

I didn't want to seem rude by falling asleep in the middle of his story, but I was oddly tired tonight.

"It's going to be amazing! ...they won't be able to... Fight! I can't wait..." America's words faded as I stretched out across my cot. His mouth was moving a mile a minute but his words made no audible sounds to me anymore, and the last thing I viewed in my conscious state was America laying back on his cot in preparation for bed.

 _ZzzNear... We're here...don't be afrai..._

 _Waves of blue wrapped around me as a blanket would a slumbering child._

 _ZzzwantZZZZzzzYou... Come with us..._

 _Hands of ocean blue reached for me; tugged at me._

 _Waves grew stronger._

 _Blue was brighter._

 _I was almost under._

 _ZzzJust...a litttle morezzzZZ_

 _TimeZZZzzz_

 _NO!_ I sat up with a jolt, rejecting the feeling of hands on my shoulders and the impression of being lifted away.

 _It wants me. Whatever it is wants to take me under._ My head was a mess as the feelings, images, and thoughts abandoned me, and I was still left feeling sick and lost.

 _I can't do this! I need to tell someone, anyone!_ I could barely see in the pitch darkness of the room, but I could make out America's tall form draped on top of his cot. He was laying on his back and breathing lightly, and his strong presence calmed me minutely.

"Mm." A sound came from beside me and I nearly jumped before I realized it was America-cat who had snuck into my bed sometime earlier. It spoke volumes to me that his entrance hadn't woken me up, and it only furthered my idea that something was very wrong.

 _I need to speak to someone... Someone... Britain!_ I recalled my idea to speak to Britain, as it was main purpose for coming to this island. Now with a solid goal in mind, I frantically rose up and started to tie on my boots. I didn't bother to tuck my hair back under the cap, since I wasn't thinking all that straight and I doubted anyone would be seeing me in the middle of the night.

 _I must find Britain._

I wasn't being very quiet as I rushed to throw my hat back on, strap on some boots, and exit the tent, but America and his cat version never stirred or even shifted from the small racket I made.

 _But where is his encampment?!_ I was halted from taking any steps further outside when I started to panic over the idea that I wouldn't be able to find Britain. I almost considered yelling for him, when logic saved me from waking up an entire island.

 _Wait, France's camp was to the right from this spot, and if I know Britain, he would be as far as he could from France. So he must be somewhere over there._ I started jogging to the left and entered the short foliage that was on the outskirts of America's camp. I was a little surprised not a single person was up to guard the camp or question me, but then I remembered that hardly anyone was on the island. This island battle was mainly between personified nations against other nations, not really the literal Allies army versus Axis army. In fact, there was maybe fifty people here in America's camp, and I was sure that his camp was the largest one out of the entire Allies group.

 _Good. No one will question me at Britain's camp._ I was running through the forest, trampling bushes and flowers that had the misfortune of being in my way, but I could care less. While the fear had left me and the anxiety had lessen, I was still under the impression it was dire that I tell someone about what I noticed was happening to me. It wasn't the dreams I wanted to speak about, though that was what forced me into action, but the evidence I had gathered for a much larger problem.

 _Please be it! Please be Britain's camp!_ I saw the shadows of large tents up ahead and I was silently begging for it to be Britain's place.

 _Yes!_ I saw the pale moonlight shine on the tall flag pole with Britain's flag hanging off it. Slowing down to a jog and eventually a fast walk, I hesitated once I reached it.

 _Where is he?_ I scanned the tents lining the small area in a circle, and I set my gaze on the largest one of them all. The tent stood above all other structures in the area, except for the trees, and it even had a light glow coming from inside it.

 _He's still up? Perfect._ I was hoping that I wouldn't have to wake Britain up, as I found that idea unsavory, but I still would have done it if it was necessary.

"Britain?" I questioned softly, as I approached the small tent. I wasn't sure what time it was and I didn't want to raise any alarm, so I kept my voice at whisper level.

 _No way to knock._ Since it was a tent, I knew there was no polite way to interrupt Britain in whatever he was doing, so I quietly opened the tent flap.

"Hey, Britain!" I whisper yelled insistently and took a few steps in. Luckily Britain truly was there, with his back turned to me, while he muttered to himself and stared down at some papers on the desk in front of him.

 _I don't want to intrude, but we need to talk._ I had waited four months to deal with this issue, and I hadn't ran through the forest in the middle of the night just to lose my nerve now.

"Britain!" I whisper shouted louder, and I quickly jumped back when Britain shot up from looking at his papers and his head swiveled in my direction.

"What?! May, what are you doing here? When did you get here?" Britain sounded nervous, as I saw his hand try to discretely slide a map over the papers he was looking at.

 _What was he- Not important right now_. I brushed off the curiosity.

"I-I um, need to talk to you about something." I started off a little bashfully and felt somewhat foolish for allowing my nerves to crumble.

"You came here to speak to me? At twelve in the morning?" Britain sounded skeptical as he appraised me with narrowed eyes.

"It's important." I tried to get the nervous tension to leave my voice and was glad to hear I was successful.

"Surely it can wait until later. I'm busy right now, so I need you to-" Britain brushed aside my words and started to turn back around, but I stopped him by placing a unyielding hand on his shoulder.

"I need you're help, Britain." My tone was firm, like a wire pulled taunt, and Britain grew still. He heard the seriousness of my tone and I released his shoulder once he turned around.

"What are you talking about?" Britain questioned sharply, but there was no venom in his voice. In fact, I thought I heard some concern.

 _"Stay strong, May."_ I heard the familiar voice of my mother comfort me.

"May, are you alright?" Britain was definitely concerned, as he guided me over to his cot and we both took a seat on it.

"I'm not sure." I told him honestly, and stared at him with worry expressed in my eyes.

"This is going to sound crazy and a little strange, but I need you to hear me out." I began, and paused to think of my next words.

"Go on, luv." Britain encouraged me when the silence stretched on.

 _Here it goes._ I sucked in a sharp breath of air.

"I haven't aged for the past four months." I told Britain with hard to maintain calm. Thus silence reigned as his eyes grew wide, and his mouth opened as if to form words before he clamped it shut. Clearly he hadn't been expecting words anywhere close to what I admitted.

"I didn't notice at first, since I am pretty much past the whole getting taller and gaining an adult body stage of my life, and didn't think much about how my body is still supposed to change somewhat, but then I started to see things." I felt myself calm more as I recalled the cold hard facts I had gathered.

"I haven't had to cut my nails for the past four months," I held up nails for Britain to examine. "And yet they are still this size." Britain grasped my hand as he observed my still short nails, which I had just cut the night before I ended up in Hetalia.

"Also, my hair hasn't grown any longer, and my hair has always grown back fast after I trimmed it. If you can remember when you first met me, my blonde hair went down to my mid back. Look." I turned around to give him a full look at my back, and from his gasp of surprise, I knew he found the even ends of my blonde hair to be the exact same length it was four months ago.

"T-that is..." Britain seemed unable to formulate a response to the evidence.

"It's not just physically, but I noticed some internal signs as well. For example, I haven't had an appetite since I've been in this world." My voice was steady, as I relieved myself of the burden this information had become.

"I'm actually a pretty big eater, despite my size, and I've never been one to pass up a meal. Yet, I haven't been hungry like I used to since I arrived here." I continued.

"Maybe it is stress causing you to feel that way." Britain didn't sound confident at the idea and I shook my head to indicate I didn't agree.

"I thought that for the first month, until I noticed I hadn't lost weight. I don't think America's noticed that I only eat maybe some toast for breakfast, a hamburger for lunch, and hot dog at night, but even those things leave me stuffed. Yet, despite my lack of eating, I haven't lost a single pound." I had checked myself with America's scale at least five times per month before I accepted that I was no bigger or smaller than when I left the airport.

"Height, I understand since I'm not growing anymore, but this weight thing isn't normal." My tone was heavy as I pushed on through the evidence.

"I also have had trouble sleeping... I'm rarely ever tired, just like I never really feel hungry. I could go days without sleeping and only feel mildly tired." I had tested it by staying awake for three whole days and using my iPhone as my main source of entertainment. I even refrained from eating those three days, hardly leaving my room except to lie to America and assure him I had eaten when he wasn't around, but my stomach didn't growl once and my eyes never drooped down from exhaustion.

"I even noticed that I'm not healing the way I should... Trying not to go in depth, but I had a somewhat serious injury on one of my legs and arms a while before I entered college. The doctor mentioned that I should completely heal within two months from August, which was around the time I started college, yet I have been here for nearly five months and I still have issues with my leg..." I recalled the way my leg collapsed sometimes after my morning training or dance practice, and I could also feel a burning curiosity coming from Britain as I explained, but I decided to move on from that fact.

"Basically, I have tested and examined myself, Britain. The only explanation I could find was that I am not aging. It is as if my body hasn't got a day older since I've been here." I concluded in a whisper, unsure of what else to mention. Thus I was met with a silence that was only disrupted by the typical sounds of the night, but it gave me time to breathe.

"I see... Is that all you noted about your condition?" Britain asked me, his shocked tone making him sound dazed.

"There is one other thing, but I wasn't exactly able to test it like the others." I offered weakly, feeling a light flush come upon my face.

 _It's not my fault the take home kits haven't been invented yet._

"What is it? What else has been happening to you?" Britain had a determined expression on his face, which I might of found adorable if not for the burning embarrassment of my next words.

"I-I haven't had my monthly visitor since I came here." I spat the words out, squeezing my eyes shut briefly.

 _This just got awkward._ Britain's mouth had clamped shut again as he stared at me for a good second.

"...My menstrual cycle. I-it hasn't came." I wasn't sure if had understood me the first time and I forced myself to choke out the words.

"I know what you meant!" Britain shouted, and I noticed he was blushing a mad red, obviously more embarrassed than myself.

"How-" Britain cut himself off. "Perhaps you are-"

"No, I'm not pregnant to my knowledge." I interjected with slight fury. "First of all, I haven't done what's necessary to get pregnant. _Ever._ " I spat the words out quickly.

"Plus, even though I know it's impossible, I have checked myself for the symptoms. No morning sickness or strange cravings -no cravings at all really-, and does this look like the stomach of a preggers lady?" I semi-shouted, as I lifted part of my brown t-shirt to reveal the toned and muscled stomach I had long before I entered Hetalia.

"I-It doesn't, but... I can check to make sure." Britain sputtered the beginning, until he regained some control.

"G-go ahead." I told him, as I recalled that Britain probably knew a lot more about the physical symptoms of being pregnant than myself.

 _Britain is known for having all those fancy medical colleges. He should be pretty good at this._ I could see Britain's cheeks turn a deeper red, as he avoided my gaze and he went over to a bag in the corner. From there, he pulled out a stethoscope and brought it over to me.

"I'll be quick." Britain mumbled and he cautiously lifted some of my shirt and placed the stethoscope on my stomach.

 _Oh, that's cold!_ I tried to ignore the awkwardness of Britain moving the stethoscope to different areas of my stomach by allowing an old song to play in my head.

 _Ice ice baby! Duh nuhnuh nuh~_

"I do not believe you are pregnant." Britain announced, and quickly pulled the stethoscope away.

"As I said, I think it's all part of the same problem I mentioned before." I stated, trying to rush past what just happened.

"Back to the matter at hand, with all you have said, it appears you are not aging properly." Britain began, a thoughtful look gracing his face. "I believe it's not just aging that is your problem, however." Britain concluded, his forehead wrinkling up.

"What? Do you know something?" I asked, curiosity and hope filling me.

"Even with my own lack of aging like the average human, my hair and similar parts still grow. Therefore, it is not like us nations where you are not just aging, but something more." Britain concluded, like he had figured out something noteworthy.

"Do you know what is wrong with me? Did you maybe read about something like this in your books?" I asked eagerly, hoping for any possible answers.

"Yes, actually," I felt hope renew in me. "I was reading about some time spells, and I found one that was used to freeze a person in time." Britain told me with confidence, though I could tell my face was crinkling up with confusion since I wasn't sure what he meant.

"What happens to a person frozen in time?" I asked, in need of clarification.

"It doesn't literally freeze a person from movement, but it freezes their body." Britain spoke like a true expert, which was exactly the confident voice I wanted to hear. "A frozen person will stop changing like a normal person. They won't grow taller, age, or etc. Perhaps they will even no longer require the same amount of sleep or nourishment as they used to." Britain listed the symptoms with growing confidence.

"That sounds like me, except I don't think I've been put under some spell... Unless my travel here had something to do with it." An idea started to form in my head, and Britain turned to me.

"What if that whole rip in time has something to do with it?" I suggested.

"In what manner?" Britain questioned.

"Like what if that rip in time and space affected me when I traveled here... Kind of like with you and America, when Canada found you frozen in time. I'm not entirely sure, but maybe it's as if I'm surrounded by that tear in time and because my body is covered by that tear, my body is not affected by the time outside my world. Maybe that tear around me is keeping me somewhat linked to my world." I felt a strange adrenaline run through me as I spoke faster.

"Maybe that rip is acting like some sort of time cloak and it's causing my body to exist in the same time frame as it was in the airport. It's like my body is stuck, frozen, in a place where time doesn't move and the time outside my body just doesn't matter." I spoke loudly, my excitement causing me to forget to whisper.

"Wouldn't that mean... in your world, time has not moved since you were removed from it?" Britain hesitantly suggested, causing me to fall into a stunned silence.

 _...My world stopped moving... Cars, wind, airplanes, people, students, and my parents aren't moving..._ In a sense, it was relieving to believe that however long I was in Hetalia that I could return home not to parents that thought I had been kidnapped months ago, but parents who had no idea anything was ever amiss. On the other side of things, my world had possibly stopped moving forward in time since I left.

Nearly five months without movement.

This was bad.

"I guess you're right." I managed to agree. "I just... I hope that not moving in time isn't harming my world. I can't really imagine how it would, but it sounds pretty serious." I voiced my concern, releasing tension by explaining it to someone I knew would listen.

"...I'm sorry if it is, but there is nothing either you or myself can do if something is happening to your world." Britain spoke solemnly, chipping away at some of my worry.

 _When did I become so important?_ I was but one person from about eight billion on my world, and it was both terrifying and odd to realize how much importance my mere presence had on my Earth.

 _But there is nothing I can do, until I find a way to go home. There is no point in needlessly worrying about the condition of my world when I have no power to change it._ Like an injured animal would on the brink of death, I would fight bitterly to help my world if I knew I could, but once I realized there was nothing I could do, I accepted my circumstances like that animal would relax and accept death once it realized there was no way it would survive.

"Regardless, that is as good a theory as any." Britain supplied, and while I knew a lot of what I said flew over his head tonight, I also knew he got the general gist of it.

"I couldn't have figured it out without you." I told him happily, feeling near light headed by the revelation we had just found, but I pushed onward.

"Yes, it is a good thing you came to me about it." Britain added, and I could hear smugness in his voice.

"True, I doubted America could actually help much." I caught on to his double meaning. "He would try, but I don't think it would have helped to talk to him." I joked, imagining how question marks probably would of appeared over America's head as I attempted to explain my theory.

 _He probably would of just offered me a few chocolate bars and called it a day._ It cheered me up to imagine a chibi version of myself accepting the chocolate, getting a pat on the head from chibi America for my effort, and simply looking at him with exasperation.

"It is nice to know we have solved some of the mystery surrounding you." Britain also sounded lighter after we managed to figure out the issue.

"Yes, if only we could figure out the rest." I felt some of the lightness flee my tone, as I wondered what created all these issues in the first place.

 _Why am I here?_ The familiar thought reverberated through my head.

"Do not worry yourself, I will look into it the moment I am home." Britain reassured me.

"About that, Britain... I don't think you should keep searching for a way to get me back home." I said with a sigh.

"Sorry, what?! Don't you-"

"Yes, I want to go home to fix things, and I really appreciate you trying to get me home, but I don't think you can. Call it a gut feeling, but I'm sure that whatever mystery surrounding me must be solved by myself, not you." I spoke sternly, but softly.

"Are you sure about that?" Britain asked, disbelief lacing his words.

"Just as sure about everything else we talked about tonight... My gut feelings are to be trusted, and they're telling me that I'm the only one that can figure out what brought me here and how to get back." I rose up from the bed, filled with certainty that I was making the right choice. Britain thus examined my face to make sure I didn't have a trace of doubt before he released a sigh, and joined me in standing.

"If that is your wish, I will stop looking." Britain agreed.

"Thank you. I knew I could count on you." I gave a small nod in his direction before I started to exit the tent.

"May?" Britain's voice caused me turn my head.

"Why did you come to me in the first place?" I wasn't sure why Britain asked me that, but I could tell it wasn't rhetorical. Truthfully, I knew he was the only one who had any knowledge on what could have brought me here, America and France wouldn't have understood, I didn't know China well enough for me to talk to him, and Russia... that idea just spoke for itself. I knew I could tell Britain all of this logical reasoning, but I decided to go with the simplest answer.

"Why not? I trust you." I told him, and figuring that was all he needed of me, I started to walk away. It had taken a while since our somewhat confrontational meeting, but I had come to trust Britain as I did America.

 _I trust him, and I can only hope that one day he can trust me._ It was long walk back, but with my worries out in the open, I felt almost like I could skip back without a care in the world.

* * *

I ran as fast as I could, feeling my heart pump blood through my body and my long hair tickle my back as it flowed behind me. America-cat was right beside me as he seemed to be having a ball just running around, possibly even racing against me in his head.

I was currently in the middle of the forest, in between America's camp and the other Allies' campgrounds. I had been fortunate enough to find an area that had no trees and made a perfect clearing for me to run around and feel free to just get my heart racing.

 _A couple more hours of this and maybe I can prove my theory._ I slowed to a jog and America-cat followed my lead.

 _How about some moves._ I carefully bent over into a shaky handstand.

"Want a ride?" I asked America-cat with a smile. Almost immediately he took a large running leap and landed on top of my feet that were slightly hanging down.

"Hold on." I started walking on my hands in a small circle while making a few random turns so I wouldn't have to leave the clearing.

"How's it feel to be on top of the world?" I asked America-cat, who was grasping on to my shoe bottom so he could catch a ride.

"Meow! Meooooww!" I wasn't a hundred percent sure, but I figured he meant something like, "I'm on top of the world, baby!"

 _Evvverybody! Everybody! Everybody wants to be a cat!_ The random Disney song popped into my head, and I had to stop myself from laughing since I knew it would cause my body to shake and maybe lead to America-cat slipping off.

 _It must be all the endorphin this exercise is sending to my brain. That's why I feel so good!_ I had been exercising since early this morning, which was about an hour ago when America had left. Apparently him and the other Allies had planned to perform some surveillance on the Axis trio this morning, in hopes of finding the source of the strange "weapon" used against them last night. They had no idea it was Grandpa Rome and I wasn't about to ruin my vow of silence and tell them the truth. Besides, it was kind of fun watching them run around without a clue to what was really happening.

"Rides over!" I announced, and America-cat hopped off my shoe and landed perfectly on the sandy ground below.

"What now?" I asked myself, once I was situated back on my feet. Then light bulb came over my head when I saw that America-cat had preceded to roll around on his back once he got off me.

"Great idea! Tumbles are always fun!" I felt like a little kid when I laid on the ground, curled up, and started to roll forward. I went in a straight line at first, but then I purposely started to curve so I could move around in circles without vegetation to disrupt me.

 _I hope I'm not a mess after all this._ The only bathing anyone could do was in the ocean and since I was the only girl around, I was logically reluctant to take baths. I mainly just dipped my legs and arms in, while splashing water on my face and other areas. I tried to avoid my hair though, since I had left my flat iron at home and I didn't want my hair to possibly lose it's straightness.

 _I'm getting tired._ I had stopped tumbling and decided to just lay on the ground and stare up at the sky. I mainly looked at the clouds, and avoided staring at the sun for obvious reasons.

"It feels like I'm on vacation." After four months of mainly staying indoors, it actually felt great to be outside. I felt so free and powerful, and I started to wonder if maybe I should start attending more of the Allies meetings, if only to get outside the house more.

"Meow?" America-cat's face blocked my sight of the sky when he walked over and looked down at me.

"You hungry for some breakfast? ...I am too." I stated with a victorious smile.

 _I knew I was right!_ _That's why I get hungry._ After clearing up my no aging issue, I found that there was still a hole in my theory. If my body was frozen in time and unaffected by the time outside my body, why did I still get hungry and tired eventually?

Simple, my body still had to respond to outside influences. Every time I walked or just breathed, my body was still using energy, and food was used to replenish that energy. Also, sleep was required for my brain to get some rest, and since I still used my brain every day, I would end up requiring some amount of sleep.

 _I'm certain now, my body is still affected by what I do with it._ If I didn't move or stay awake, I probably wouldn't require food or sleep for weeks, but since I still moved around and used my brain, I had to get hungry and tired eventually. My body responded to outside influences at a slower rate than it should, since it was frozen in time, but I was still human with human needs.

 _I'm actually kind of like the countries_. I wasn't any more durable than before, but I wasn't aging and I could survive longer without nourishment, so I did sort of biologically resemble my nation friends.

 _One mystery solved and another... bizillion... to go?_ I didn't want to the think about the other mysteries surrounding me, because today, I just wanted to be happy over solving one.

"Let's go get some grub. If we're lucky, there might be some tuna left over for you." I told America-cat who happily meowed at the prospect of fish for breakfast.

 _Goodness his obsession with fish is like America and hamburgers. His appetite is almost the same too... Where does all that food go?_ I vaguely wondered if maybe both Americas secretly had a black hole in their stomach or some pocket dimension to store all that food.

 _Then again, maybe they just have a fast metabolism._

I stopped walking when America-cat froze and his ears started to twitch.

 _America-cat stopping before getting food? Yup, something done gone wrong with the world... I really hope we're not about to be bombed or something._

"MEOW!" America-cat shouted as he pounced into what looked like a random patch of tall grass. I quickly lost sight of him in the greenery, and only the shifting of the grass let me know he was still moving in there.

"Americat? Oh, hello?!" My words left me as the grass kept shaking until out rolled a cat.

"...Britain-cat?" I asked, taking in the orange and white color of the cat's fur. The familiar earthy green eyes, curled ears, and strange black lines resembling thick eyebrows above said eyes were a dead give away. The only thing missing from his appearance was the collar I knew he wore.

 _I think that he starts wearing that in the future of this world, like when Britain takes him into his house._

"Ma-o." Britain-cat meowed in a long suffering manner.

"Meow!" America-cat sprang out of the bushes and bumped into Britain-cat. This caused the cat to nearly tumble over since America-cat was larger than him. Thus, Britain-cat righted himself and started to screech in America-cat's direction before turning his back to him and holding his nose in the air.

 _Shots fired! Geez, I've never seen a cat dis another cat so harshly... But he's still cute_.

"So, this is you're friend, huh? He's a cutie." I said while bending down to give Britain-cat a small hug. In my embrace, Britain-cat squirmed until he jumped out of my arms and stared at me.

"What? Are you embarrassed? You really shouldn't because that only makes me want to hug you more!" I gave him a quick pat on the head before he could run away. Then Britain cat made a sniff sound before turning his back to me and walking away with his tail waving in the air.

 _Tsundere cat is Tsundere_. I watched America-cat follow Britain-cat and playful pounce on him a couple of times. He even stepped in front of Britain-cat's path and seemed to enjoy blocking off the Brit's exit way. Yet it was obvious that Britain-cat wasn't in the mood _(is he ever?)_ and he managed to feint to the left then run around America-cat on the right and make a mad dash towards what I believed was Britain's encampment.

"Meoooow!" America-cat shouted after him, but he remained sitting at my side.

"Why he's a bit stiff, wouldn't you say, mate?" I mimicked an Australian accent and America-cat stared up at me with wonder.

"What? Would you prefer if I totally talked like this, dude?" I exaggerated my natural American accent to the point of sounding like a stereotypical surfer buff.

"Or maybe you prefer the good ol' country? I reckon, down south wit all the doggies is what ya'll like." I switched to a country hick voice, and America-cat continued to stare at me with what I dare say looked like a smile minus the teeth.

"Let's go grab a bite to eat, ya know. Maybe some pizza like true Yorkers!" I sounded ridiculous even to myself with a Brooklyn accent, and I started to laugh as we approached the familiar encampment.

 _I got a feeling today's going to be a good day._

* * *

"Meow!" America-cat protested.

"Come on, it's not that bad." I shouted back, standing a few feet in the ocean. The water pressed against my ankles as a wave came in.

"Seriously, you could do with a shower. With all the rolling in the dirt and jungle adventures you have." I tried to be persuasive, playfully splashing some water in America-cat's direction. He was sitting by the shore, near the edge of the forest and vegetation, and he was a few feet from the wave's reach.

 _I know America takes like five minute showers and I know plenty of cats don't like water, or fear it, but come on!_

"Fine, suit yourself! Guess I'm keeping all that tuna to myself for tonight's dinner." I mentioned, wading deeper into the ocean. I looked at America-cat from the corner of my eye and noticed he hadn't budged.

"I'm not giving you any tummy rubs tonight either." I added, rolling up my pants until they looked like shorts before I dipped my arms in the water.

"Meeeoow!" America-cat cried out, standing up and staring at me with what almost looked like a frown.

"All's fair in love and war, so don't complain." I replied, splashing water on my face and closing my eyes so I wouldn't get salt water in them.

"You know, I even heard a nice soak in water could help somebody lose weight way faster than dieting," I gave America-cat a once over before finishing, "You're looking fluffier than usual." I finished off with a wide grin on my face.

"Meow!" America-cat shouted and I saw him jump up and edge closer to the shoreline. I could tell he was both offended and little concerned, as he suddenly looked at his paws and seemed to examine his water reflection in a self conscious manner.

"It's fine if you don't want to though, I'm sure when I find Britain-cat, he'll gladly share fish with me. Then I'll give him a nice rub and-"

 _SPLASH!_ America-cat had dove into the ocean, and went under for a second. Within a beat though, he bobbed back up and started swimming towards me.

"Meow-meow!" America-cat shouted and I gave him a little smile. I'm sure in his cat language he said something like, "You happy now? I still get a tummy rub, right?"

 _If there's one constant in this world, it's an America's ego._ I doubted either America could stand for being out done by another country in anything.

 _Including belly rubs and being fed, apparently._

America-cat quickly started to paddle away after I gave him a soft pat on the head.

"Yes, you get a rub and food. I might even play baseball with you." I replied, as he got to shore and immediately shook himself off in an attempt to remove the water weighing him down. He actually looked thinner with all the water patting down his fluffy fur.

 _I knew he wasn't fat. His fur and height just make him look big._

"Meow?" America-cat looked at me curiously because I remained in the water.

"I'll join you back at the tent. I'm not done yet." I replied, and America-cat turned around and started to rush into the forest.

 _Now to deal with the issue at hand._ I had washed all I could of my body, without revealing too much of it. I didn't touch my hair since I didn't want it to loose it's straightness or color, and I longed to get a more thorough washing, but I couldn't for a very specific reason.

"You guys need something?!" I shouted up to the left. There was a small, sandy hill over there that had about four different pairs of eyes poking out from its side.

 _I expected it, but it still surprises me..._ Every since yesterday, I noticed I had an audience when I went to clean up at the beach, which is why I didn't take off my hat or take off my tank top or pants. I figured it was the Frenchmen who spread the word about the "beautiful dame" they had spotted a while ago. Though it also wouldn't shock me if some American soldiers had helped spread that rumor too, most likely finding out where I bathed, since I had caught a couple glancing at me with more than curiosity and I knew they probably hadn't seen a woman in a while too.

"N-no thanks, ma'am." One of the bolder American soldiers replied nervously. I noticed that there was also a French and British soldier among the three American ones.

 _At least they all look pretty young, it would way creepy if they were like forty something... Hmmm, blondie over there don't look to bad- Stop! Get in line, girl!_

"Great. Then I guess you and your two friends would love to go back to camp now." I concluded with fake cheer and a strained smile. Without hesitance, all five men nodded and quickly backpedaled. The Brit almost tripped over the Frenchman in his hurry to retreat though, and I swore I saw angry sparks come between them as they glared at one another.

 _Yup, it seems all encampments are filled with stereotypes that resemble their nations._

"I told you it was a bad idea to spy on his sister!" I heard one U.S soldier whisper-shout at the other American soldiers while they hastily ran to the American encampment. Though he got in between the British guy and Frenchman as he ran, which snapped them out of their glaring match and they too fled when they noticed I was still watching them with an "Are you kidding me?" face.

 _I wonder what they meant by sister._ I walked out of the water, too wary to remove any more clothing, and I started to use a towel I brought to rub sand from my blonde hair. I also wiped off my legs and arms before sticking my feet back into my boots.

 _I'll get a real bath in a few days anyway._ I doubted we would be on the island for much longer than two days or so.

 _Time to head back._ I gazed at the sun setting over the sea for a moment, before I pulled myself away and headed on to the familiar greenery.

It didn't take long for me to arrive back and my nose was soon assaulted by the smell of cooked fish and some sort of vegetable.

 _I'm a little eager for those_. I tried my best to ignore the stares ranging from innocent curiosity to possible lust from my fellow Americans while I walked up and retrieved some food along with coconut milk from the misfit kitchen area they had set up.

 _They sure are using this island's resources._ I noted, taking the plate and cup over to my tent as I had done every night.

"You here?" I asked, not seeing the expected fur ball of energy.

"Meow! Meow!" America-cat shot out like a rocket from under America's cot and jumped eagerly onto my cot.

"Here you go." I placed half of my shredded tuna on a smaller plate I had grabbed earlier and placed it next to America-cat. With vigor, he started eating it the second it was close to him with strange yellow stars appearing in his eyes.

 _That will never stop being plain wrong._ I thought, a little disturbed.

 _Good thing I worked up an appetite._ I was about to dig into my food, while noticing America-cat had already gobbled his up, when the tent flap flew open.

"America?!" I questioned, taken back by his sudden appearance. I subtly glanced around for America-cat, but he had already disappeared.

 _Ninja cat much? If he's this good, I can only imagine how fast Japan-cat could pull a ninja disappearance._

"Yeah, I'm back! It would have took longer, but stupid Britain ruined my moment!" America complained as he walked inside.

"How did he manage to do that?" I asked despite knowing the answer.

"He pulled out this Buster's chair and distracted us, and the Axis managed to slip away when weren't looking! It's not fair, dude!" America continued to rant with a pout.

 _So that's what Britain was hiding yesterday. His plans to trick America into that Busby's chair._ I recalled how frantic Britain had been to hide what looked like battle plans before I talked to him.

"Plans don't always go according to plan." I stated, ready to dive into my food.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" America shouted, staring at the plate of food in my hand.

"I was about to eat." I answered.

"In here?! Why don't you eat with the other dudes outside?!" America seemed almost horrified that I choose to eat alone in my tent.

 _I guess I never thought of it._ I never really imagined myself eating among the others at the camp, in fact, I might of subconsciously been avoiding them.

 _I don't want to influence the future too much. What if talking to them affects the war?_ I doubted my mere presence could do much damage, but I didn't want to risk it and...

 _It reminds of my time in the navy._ I had no desire to admit it, but all those men in uniforms made me feel like I was back in the navy and I disliked the feeling of familiarity it brought.

"Come on, dude! We're eating outside!" America determined while grabbing my arm and dragging me up and out of the tent.

"Okay! You don't have to push me out, geez!" I shouted as America pulled me over to one of the tables.

"I'll get some food and then we'll eat together!" America said determinedly as he left me at the table.

"Not like I have a choice." I said with amusement while sitting down, and setting down my bowl of food. I turned back to my meal, but then I got a strange prickling sensation that told me I wasn't alone. Looking up, I felt my eyes widen a little as I stared across the table and was met with the shocked faces of the soldiers from earlier.

 _Awkward dinner, anyone?_ I had the urge to nervously chuckle as the American soldiers scrambled to scoot as far as they could from me.

"Um?"

"I'm back!" America announced as he sat beside me with enough food on his plate to feed three grown men.

"Urk!" I heard one of the soldiers make a choking sound as he stared at both me and America with wide blue eyes. Another soldier, with dirty blonde hair seemed to turn white as a ghost when he saw America sit besides me.

"See, May!" This is way better than eating in that tent!" America cheered, oblivious to the discomfort of those around him.

"Um, yeah. It's great." I mumbled, still staring at the quivering soldiers.

 _Jeez, they're acting like I'm going asking America to send them into the front lines just because they tried to sneak a look at me._ I was mildly amused that they believed I had so much power over them.

"You going to eat that, Steven?" America addressed the hazel eyed soldier that was closest to us.

"Yes! I mean no, sir! You can have it if you want." Steven replied, his nervousness making him speed talk and stutter.

"Thanks, dude!" America added Steven's food to his own dwindling pile and I tried to ignore the awkwardness by stuffing my face with my own food.

"Oh yeah, you guys haven't met her yet, huh?" America spoke, thankfully swallowing when he pointed at me.

 _Oh, we met alright. Mhm, we sure did._

"This is May! May, this is Steven, Albert, and Paul!" America pointed at the three men without noticing how they shrunk under his gaze.

"..." None of the men and myself said anything after the introduction and America finally stopped munching on his food to notice something was off.

"What's up?" America questioned, causing the one farthest from us to break into a cold sweat.

"W-we were just wondering why you brought your sister here?" Paul asked to break the tense mood.

 _Sister?! They think I'm America's sister?!_ I looked at America to confirm what I was hearing.

"She wanted to travel and I didn't want leave her home alone." America replied happily without a blimp in his speech.

 _He told them I was his sister? ...I guess I can see why._ The only part of my hair I allowed the soldiers to see was the straight blonde part, my eyes did look like America's right now, and my light tan was only a shade above America's skin tone. I too was taller than the average person of my gender, just like America was.

 _I guess I do kind of look like him._

"Oh, that's cool." Paul muttered weakly.

"It helps that's she is pretty cute and has that stunning tan and is a babe-" Albert blurted before the other two slapped their hands over his mouth.

"Huh?" America questioned, mouth full of food.

"W-we gotta go, sir!" The three men ran away, and I saw Steven hit Paul on the head while muttering, "Are you crazy?! She's his sister, we can't-" I couldn't hear the rest as the young men ran out of sight.

"What did they say? Something about a boot?" America questioned after finishing his meal. He clearly hadn't properly heard the men who were now long gone, only catching a fragment of "cute".

"Yeah, America. Something about a boot not fitting." I chuckled to myself when I caught sight of America's confused face.

 _Well, if there's one thing I learned. Dinner with the army sure can be interesting._ I had actually felt light-hearted as I ate my dinner outside, even with the awkwardness of the situation.

 _I didn't even think of my time in the navy with America here._ Something about America made the memories fade away. I wasn't sure what it was about him, but I was glad he had dragged me outside.

 _Sometimes it's nice to be around other people._ It reminded me of home. America was essentially my home, and whenever he was near, I could feel this sense of being in my comfort zone. Perhaps it was because he was the embodiment of my nation, but he made the distance seem like it was gone, and I could rest easy knowing I wasn't as far from my home as I thought.

* * *

"When time is spent, eternity **begins**." ~Helen Hunt Jackson

* * *

 **Review my lovely people! Some readers out there must have something to say, right?**

 **Either way, I wonder if anyone is putting together the pieces for this mystery around May. I've been subtle, and obviously I don't want you guys to know everything yet, and I won't reveal the full story for quiet a few chapters! Just food for thought, but I would like to hear what people think maybe.**

 **Anyway, next time is when stuff goes down (literately in some cases) and it might get a little crazy for the Axis and Allies!**

 **See ya now!**


	11. Chapter 11: Juncture on the Seashore

**Hello, my wonderful readers! Thanks for all your reviewing, following and favoriting!**

 **Also, I hope you all enjoy this one because I was really excited about writing this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Yo no tengo la posesión de Hetalia... What? No one said it had to be written in English.**

* * *

 **Switch** (also known as Shift): To make a change from one thing to another by **T** **urning**

* * *

I had been deep in my slumber when I heard the noises. Or more specifically, I heard the shouting voices that weren't even attempting to be quiet.

"I'm coming! I'm coming, alright?!" The voice was familiar, that I knew, as I roused myself.

 _What's going on?_ I wondered, while I opened bleary eyes to take in the dark roof of the tent above.

"Stop rushing me, dude!" America shouted just as I fully woke up, and my eyes adjusted to the darkness.

"America?" I called out with a dry mouth, which caused my words to sound a little slurred and my tone to sound rougher.

"Huh? Did I wake you, May?" America asked me while standing near his cot. From what I could make out of his expression, he looked disheveled, like he had just woken up himself.

"Yeah, you did." The bluntness I expressed stemmed from my mind being half asleep. "What's going on?" I asked, confused as to why he was awake in the middle of the night. From what I had noticed, America was a sound sleeper and it seemed like even the loudest of uproars couldn't drag him out of his bed. To see him awake at such a late time made me certain that something unusual was happening.

"America, are you prepared yet?" An impatient British voice implored from outside of our tent. Yet America ignored him as he continued to focus on me.

"Sorry, dude. Britain's rushing me to leave and track down the Axis!" America replied while taking a seat on his cot, so he could strap on his boots.

"Didn't you do that earlier?" I inquired of America, recalling how he had left to hunt down the Axis earlier this night _(or is it already early morning?)_. Though I couldn't remember when he came back, meaning it had to have been late, because I had fallen asleep before America returned.

"We tried to, but they weren't in their usual spot! Then we tried to track them, but we couldn't find them!" America had a hint of frustration his tone. "So I just headed back to camp to catch some shut eye!" America continued on, struggling to get his shoes on properly as he spoke.

"So you guys found them just now?" I asked, siting up and starting to pull my own shoes out from under my cot.

 _Good thing I sleep in my day clothes._

"Yeah! My awesome navy just spotted a Japanese ship heading over to the island, and we think they just left with the Axis!" America continued in a hurry while he threw his bomber jacket over his sleepwear.

"Then we should get moving." I replied, tying my shoes in a rushed manner and pulling out my backpack. I had prepared the bag in advance for this moment just in case the stranded-like-the-Axis event happened unexpectedly, such as it was now.

"What?!" America shouted, pausing as he started to stand up.

"I'm coming with you. That a problem?" I questioned while I slung the small, black backpack over one of my shoulders.

"Not really, dude! I just didn't expect you to want to! You know, 'cause you haven't came to any of the other battles." America sounded genuinely baffled.

"We don't have all day, America!" Britain cut in, and now completely fed up, he yanked open the tent flap.

"I'm ready, no need to rush! You'd think an old dude like you would take things slow." Even in the darkness I saw Britain's face turn a little darker due to the jab at his age.

"I'm not old! I'm just tired of you taking up my precious time!" Britain shouted back, prepared to rant on until he spotted me.

"May? You are awake?" Britain questioned with a tone of confusion.

"You're shouting, America's yelling, and together you sound as quiet as an elephant stampede. What did you expect?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. Both nations immediately looked a little sheepish, especially when they noticed a couple of American soldiers had poked their heads out of their tents in order to locate the source of the racket, which had woken them up.

"Don't worry about it. I'm coming with you guys anyway." I stated, walking past Britain to get outside. Despite the unending darkness of night, I noticed that no one else was out and about, save ourselves and the few heads of soldiers that were reigning themselves back into their tents.

 _Are they used to this?_ I wouldn't be amazed if the American soldiers had gotten used to America's frequent outbursts, which occurred at random times, and had learned not to question it once they noticed their leader was among the source of the nighttime commotion.

"Are you sure about coming along?" Britain sounded uneasy over my bold declaration.

"At this point, I think you should be asking yourself that..." I gave an exaggerated glance down at Britain's feet with a deadpan expression on my face. "You're shoes are untied." I told Britain, who looked down to confirm what I said was true.

"Bullocks, you're right!" Britain chided himself as he bent down to tie his boots.

"And aren't you missing something, pal?" I asked America, while tapping the area around my eyes to give him a hint. America stared at me in confusion for a moment before he touched the area around his own eyes and found them lacking something.

"Aw crap!" America shouted before running back inside the tent, and then coming back out with his glasses settled on his face.

"Shall we get going then?" I asked the two nations in a somewhat smug manner.

"Yes, the ships are this way!" Britain took the lead and started walking into the forest, heading in a direction I was familiar with.

"What ships?" I asked America, who still appeared a little out of it and disoriented from his sudden awakening.

"What? Oh, there's an awesome ship of mines and one of Britain's lamer ships. We're the only ones who had any navy ships nearby." America explained with a yawn.

 _Poor guy needs caffeine. Don't worry my fellow caffeine addic-lover, totally meant lover, I feel your pain._

It was a short walk to the familiar shoreline where I often found myself bathing the best I could. The only difference about the beach was how dark the sky was and the two large, navy ships softly rocking in the ocean currents.

"To think I am wasting my precious beauty sleep on this!" France greeted us, already on the shoreline, and aiming a glare at Britain.

"Shut up! It's America that slowed me down!" Britain defended himself with a raised fist.

"Whatever, dude! You're the one who was-"

"Let's just get on the boats already." I interrupted the soon to be argument since I wasn't in the mood to listen to childish bickering.

"May? How unfortunate for you to be stuck beside these poorly clothed men. However, I can help with that!" France declared, inching closer to me. He immediately deflated when I simply gave him a blank stare before brushing past him to greet the others.

"They could not pick a better time to escape, aru?" I heard China grumble to himself as he approached us.

"We will make them pay for waking us, da?" Russia replied with his smile widening.

"Hey guys." I greeted them with a tired smile and a short wave.

"Oh, small girl will be joining us? How refreshing!" Russia stated, his smile glowing with excitement.

"It is nice to see you again, May." China replied, nodding his head in my direction.

"Now that we are all here, we can begin the chase." Britain began without preamble, just as irritated as everyone else about his sleep being disrupted. Add dealing with nations Britain found pretty bothersome to his list of problems, and he was not in a chipper mood to say in the least.

"We must split up in groups of three since we only have two boats. Obviously, I shall be on my naval ship and America will be on his. As for the rest of you, since it's our ships, we will decide which vessel you shall board. First of all, Russia will-"

"THAT COMMIE IS NOT GOING ON MY SHIP!" America interjected, startling the majority of us with his booming voice. Though Britain just glared at him and Russia's face never strayed from its usual smile.

"That is unfortunate!" Britain had sarcasm in his tone. "For I don't want him on my ship either!" Britain tossed back at America.

"Do I not get a say in this?" Russia spoke up with a dark purple aurora forming around him. Britain noticed, as did the others nations, and he hesitated to answer. On the other hand, America remained oblivious to the danger, or didn't care, and continued on.

"No, you don't!" America added with his glare set on Russia, and he finished off by saying, "You're going on Britain's ship and that's final!" America concluded, crossing his arms haughtily like a child that was refusing to eat his vegetables.

"I suppose that will do." Russia answered, brushing off America's anger and Britain's dismayed look.

"If that is the case, then you can take France!" Britain glanced at France with an expression of irritation and then muttered, "I won't have that fool on my ship."

"Whoever said I wanted to be on your cheap, unstylish boat anyway!" France announced. As expected, both him and Britain turned towards each other in an aggressive manner. I was prepared to watch another duel between them, and promptly laugh my head off _(I turn into a female America when I'm tired)_ , just as a certain country gave both of them a good smack on the back of their heads.

 _Daaaang, China. You gave them the hands!_ Both France and Britain rubbed the offended spot on their heads as China glared at them in a manner similar to a disappointed parent.

"We are not done yet and we must hurry before Axis get away!" China shouted indignantly at the two nations.

"Yeah, I need to be the hero!" America agreed, though his hero pose lacked its typical enthusiasm.

"Fine then." I concluded. "China can go with Britain and I'll be on America's ship. There, done." I said my part with a tone of finality since I was eager to get a move on.

"I suppose I have no objections." Britain grudgingly replied, longing to leave the company of the Allies.

"Of course you're on my boat, May!" America instantly approved of my idea. "I'm not letting you on that dude's ship! You'd probably sink with him as a captain!" America laughed, causing Britain to be offended.

"I used to be a pirate, and I've been riding these seas long before-"

"I prefer anyone over Britain." France concurred while gladly speaking over Britain. Then he sent me a wink as he added, "And May would make such lovely company." I rolled my eyes and ignored him.

"It will be fun on Britain's ship, da." Russia stated, but the way dark wisps swirled around him didn't go unnoticed by Britain, who looked at him fearfully.

"Let us hurry." China agreed while turning to the ship with Britain's flag hanging off it. In the darkness it was hard to see much of anything, but it was still tough to miss the large shapes of the old fashioned naval boats.

"Let's hurry, May! We have to beat Britain!" America zoomed past me in a sudden burst of energy.

 _Everything's a race with him._ I let out a sigh as I headed over to the ship with the American flag hanging off its side. I walked up the ramp that had been placed next to the ship and ignored the dark ocean waves that I could hear slapping against the ship's sides.

 _Where is everybody?_ I questioned, noticing that the ship's top deck was entirely empty save for America, France, and myself.

 _Don't tell me were the only ones on board! How are three people supposed to man a ship of this size?!_

I stumbled back when the ship gave a lurch and started to move away from the island shore.

"Are we the only ones on here?!" I asked America, who was leaning over the railing in the very front of the ship.

"Yeah! The crew joined the rest of my camp before we got on!" America replied. He looked like he didn't understand why I was so taken aback by the lack of crew members.

 _Okay then, Hetalia logic._

"Is it not wonderful that we can finally be alone?" France disrupted my thoughts as he turned to me with a rose in his hand.

"...Yeah, enjoy your _alone_ time, I'm going back to bed." I saw a dark cloud of gloom appear over France's head when I simply turned away to walk towards the lower decks.

"That sounds like a good plan." America stifled a yawn, appearing as if all the energy he had mustered earlier was zapped away from him. Thus he followed the same path as me towards the lower decks where the bedrooms were. It seemed the lack of caffeine had left both of us in sorry states, and even America couldn't keep his energy going for long.

"What?! You cannot leave me up here alone!" France complained, staring at our retreating forms.

"Sure we can, dude! You can take first watch." America replied without looking back.

"Non! I need my beauty sleep much more than you!" France cried out dramatically.

"Do you have coffee?" I asked France, twisting back to glance at him with drooping eye lids.

"No, but-"

"No caffeine, no deal." I stated plainly, continuing to drag myself after America.

"Please tell me the beds are down here." I told America, who seemed to be slumping over where he stood. It was obvious whatever adrenaline he had earlier was fully depleted now. I shared his pain since I had been much more active than usual yesterday, so my body had gotten tired much faster.

"Huh? They're over here." America muttered, pushing opening the first door he saw. Stepping inside, I was overjoyed to see a row of beds.

 _I don't care whose bed this is 'cause it's mine for tonight._ I threw myself on the first bed I saw, not even bothering to get under the covers. I didn't remove my boots either or the book bag I had on, despite it being slightly uncomfortable.

 _Might as well rest, I doubt the peace will last long._ I could already hear the soft breathing of America from one of the beds next to me, so I happily closed my eyes and decided to join him in the dream world.

* * *

 _The Blue was blinding._

 _Blue blue blue waves... like hands._

 _Ocean waves tugged on me._

 _ZZzzzDo not worryzzz_

 _I was pulled under._

 _I sank deeper._

 _The grip loosened..._ _I slipped through the waves._

 _The tide grew desperate._

 _I floated towards the surface._

 _Blue faded._

 _Ocean was lost._

 _I win._

I jumped into a sitting position with wild eyes, and harsh breathing, at the same moment that the boat rocked to the side. Even with my disoriented mind, I managed to hold onto the side of the bed and not roll off.

 _What is going on?!_ I felt the ship rock a little more until it settled down. Such an odd occurrence was a speedy distraction for whatever fear and confusion I held due to my strange dreams.

"America?" I scanned the room frantically. "What's-" I didn't finish my sentence when I noticed there was no one down here except for myself.

 _Where did America go? What is going on?!_ I slid off the bed and fell onto unsteady feet. Lingering near the wall, I managed to walk out of the bedroom area and return to the hallway.

"America?!" I questioned while running up to the top deck.

 _Oh, it's chilly out here!_ I wished I had threw on a jacket when the cool breeze whipped across my body the second I ran onto the deck.

"We've got them now!" America announced, looking as hyped up as usual. He and France were standing near the front of the deck, but they were hard to make out since it was still dark outside. Though, from what I could tell, they were both staring out at a large figure in the distance.

 _Is that another ship? The Axis?_ It was then that I noticed the third ship, with the Japanese flag hanging off it, alongside our own. On that third boat, there were three familiar looking people gazing back at us.

"So we caught them?" I asked myself, noticing that Britain's ship was on the opposite side of the Axis ship. It was clear to me that the Axis were surrounded, and it was also known to me that things were about head south for both sides even if everything was fine in present time.

 _I don't like where this is heading, even if I did see it coming._ The air was a lot colder than it had been when we first arrived on the ship, the wind was strong enough to cause all the ships to sway a little, and I could tell this wouldn't be a pleasant experience for anyone.

"Give up, dudes!" America shouted at the Axis with the wind muffling his voice.

"Can't you see that it is over? You might as well listen to him!" I could barely hear Britain shout at the Axis, but I thought I could see him standing beside China and Russia on the top deck of his boat.

"Hm? I did not know you were up." France suddenly spotted me, as I had unconsciously started to edge closer to the two nations in the hope of seeing the warning signs that my life would soon enter a downwards spiral.

"Hey, May! Ready to watch me heroically defeat the Axis once and for all?" America seemed to be in high spirits, though I also noticed he had an empty coffee mug in his hand.

 _Cooofffee!_ The maniac urge to demand coffee from America was strong with me, but I struggled not to do anything rash and distract America from his current battle.

 _Must not... give in... to the dark side... even if they have coffee! ...Or cookies!_

"I don't think they're going to listen to you." I told America, looking past him to watch the Axis talk among themselves. From what little I could make out of their expressions, Germany appeared angry or irritated, Japan was as calm as ever, and Italy was running around with a fearful expression. In stereotypical fashion, he even waved his arms around while probably speaking a mile a minute about putting up a white flag and surrendering.

"What?! Why not?!" America asked me, bewildered by lack of confidence.

"I don't know. Maybe the fact that they haven't replied and seem to be trying to think up a plan of escape." I replied a tad nervously, while I watched Japan and Germany discuss something.

"Don't ignore us! If you do not listen, then we will-" Britain words were cut off from me when a large banging sound rang out. Simultaneous with the noise, Britain's ship swayed violently to the side and I watched the nations on that ship stumble back with the motion.

 _Don't tell me that-_

"They are attacking!" France shouted in surprise.

"No way! Let's fire back!" America shouted before that same sound echoed through the air. Then I got a full picture of Japan's ship swaying backwards before righting itself.

 _They're actually shooting missiles at each other?! Heck, a better question is whose firing at them if we're the only ones on this ship?!_ I was so lost in my confusion that I stumbled backwards when America's ship was hit by a missile. Barely grabbing on to the railing in front of me, I managed to brace myself and hold on despite gravity's insistence that I go back with the ship.

"Fire faster, America! Can your ship not do better than this?!" France demaned, as he too clung to the front of the ship's railing for support.

"Of course she can! My ship is awesome!" America shouted back. Once again, I watched Japan's ship sway back more violently, and then sway in the opposite direction once Britain also attacked them.

 _It's two against one, how could we both lose?_ It was troublesome to remind myself to disregard current circumstances and admit we would all shipwreck soon enough.

"It seems the Axis are no match for our might!" France boasted since he noticed that the Axis ship was starting to shoot missiles at a slower rate and gaping holes were forming on the ship's sides.

"Ours? You mean my awesome navy skills, right?" America asked, also confident in the Allies soon-to-be victory.

 _If only that were true._ I noticed that Japan was shouting something at the rest of the Axis members, and then they all clung to the railing of their ship.

"We will destroy your ship if you do not cease fire immediately!" Britain shouted over the wind, with his clothing looking more ruffled than before the sudden fight had occurred.

In response, the missiles stopped coming from the Axis, yet they gave no verbal reply.

"They're giving up!" France appeared to be just as excited as America to get this battle over with.

 _Think again._ I thought with wary caution, and keeping my eye out for any type of sign.

"We will now be boarding your vessel! Don't try to stop us!" Britain shouted orders at the Axis, and I could barely make out the eager expressions on both Russia and China.

Expressions which soon turned to shock when the Axis ship made a rapid turn in the direction of Britain's ship, and rammed it at an angle.

"Oh crap!" America voiced the surprise on all our faces as we watched both Britain's ship and the Axis ship lean heavily over to the left side.

"ITALY!" Germany shouted, and I quickly turned in his direction to catch a glimpse of Italy, who was slipping over the side of the ship. It appeared that despite their attempts to keep him on the boat, he had fallen off with only a short, high-pitched yell following him as he disappeared under the water.

 _Whoa_ _._ I think that the wind prevented me from hearing the shouts of the other countries, or everyone was too speechless to speak after that happened.

 _Britain!_ From the corner of my eye, I saw Britain tumble over the side of his ship's railing when his ship lurched forward and he was unable to catch himself.

 _This is where it happens._ I thought with a sinking feeling when I noticed that Japan's ship gave another sharp lurch, but instead of hitting Britain's ship, it crashed into America's.

 _Oh, boy._

"Hold on, dudes!" America called out a warning. Then we all grabbed onto the railing of the ship just when we were hit with a massive force.

 _What? No!_ I had braced myself, but I still felt my body lurch back since my grip hadn't been strong enough to prevent my hands from slipping.

Thus my mind went blank, as I felt myself go airborne for a moment, until a hand latched onto my arm.

"Hold on!" France shouted as he held tightly onto me. I was astonished by his actions for a second, but then I grabbed his arm back. France then tried to pull me in closer to the railing, when the boat gave a stronger lurch backwards.

"May!" America cried out, as France lost his one handed grip on the railing and we both fell back. Once more, my fall was halted when America caught France's arm and therefore caught me as well.

"America, brace yourself!" I yelled above the wind as the ship titled back at a large angle. I knew the ship was sinking, and though I could no longer see the other two ships from the angle view I had, I held no doubt that they were in a similar condition.

"Don't worry! I totally got this!" America shouted at us with waning bravado. He was holding on to us with ease, due to his abnormal strength, but the rocking of the ship made his sole hand shift on the railing.

 _This is going hurt. This is going to really, truly hurt!_ Like any sane person, I felt a great deal of fear when I saw the navy ship tip further. As I watched America's gloved hand tremble on the railing when the ship gave another jerk, the fear intensified like a crescendo.

"We can still-" America words were cut off with a shocked cry as his glove slipped off his hand, and all three off us tumbled backwards into a free fall.

 _Please don't let me die, please don't let me die!_ I lost my hold on everyone and everything as I descended towards the water. With instincts in control, I managed to twist around and catch a view of the dark ocean coming to greet me. Unfortunately, the ship's railing decided to greet my head first.

 _Lord, don't let me-_ There was a harsh clang, a sense of numbness, and then the ocean and unconsciousness had me in their grips.

* * *

 _Ocean blue._

 _The Blue looked stronger... richer in color._

 _Waves pulled more violently._

 _I flailed in the blue, unable to tell left from right. Up from down._

 _Water filled me with cold._

 _The Blue was unkind... frigid enemy._

 _I fought to rise._

 _Must get away from Blue._

 _Away from the ocean._

 _No more blue._

 _Please!_

I hacked up water with heaving coughs when my head breached the surface. Then I panted harshly as I tried to take in the air I desperately needed.

 _Not a good feeling_. All my senses were lost to me, and I couldn't think much as my body gasped in air over and over again.

 _I'm not dead_. I regained my sense of touch when warm water brushed against my fingertips, and I jerked up at the feeling. I quickly found myself struggling to remain upright, as I felt the heavy weight that was my body try to pull me back down.

 _So much water_. I could feel water dripping off my hair and soaked clothing, and I gently rubbed water from my eyes.

 _Please don't sting, assuming this is salt water._ I opened my eyes to a small squint and then gradually widened them to be fully open.

 _Land? Thank goodness, I'm on a shore!_ I cautiously pushed myself into a standing position and stood in the shallow water.

 _Still early morning._ With my sight back, I could see the sun rising from the distance. Yet the lighting was faint, and the sky was a mixture of dark orange and blue. The wind was still going strong, which I was a little grateful for since it meant I could dry off faster.

 _Backpack still on?_ I touched my back and rubbed the familiar straps on my shoulders to assure myself.

 _Ok, first thing I have to do is... Britain?_ I saw the strange lump lying many feet away from me near the shore, but the figure wasn't moving.

"Britain?!" I called out to the figure while I ran as fast as I could to him with my pants being weighed down by water.

"Hey!" I shouted in an effort to rouse Britain as I tumbled to my knees beside him.

 _Ohhh, that's a nasty gash._ I examined the large scar running off his head and I soon noted how it was still bleeding.

 _I know you'_ _re not a normal human, but that looks like it needs to be treated._ I was aware how in the anime, Britain was fine in the end, but he didn't look fine right now. No longer wearing his standard green army coat, which I assumed he had lost in the ocean, he only had on an off-white, collared shirt that I assumed he wore underneath his typical clothes. All together, it just didn't seem right to see Britain so rumpled, and it made me worry more than I should for an immortal human like himself.

"Can you hear me?" I asked him, despite the fact he looked very much like a coma patient.

 _Nope. It's up to me then._ I had to get Britain fully out of the water, to remove the possibility of the waves covering his face, so I grabbed him from under the arms and started to tug him backwards.

 _Dang, British boy, you weigh more than you look_! I struggled to heave Britain further backwards until I deemed the distance far away enough from the ocean.

"Now let's treat that head wound." I spoke aloud, grateful to take a seat beside Britain and sluggishly pull off my backpack.

 _I hope the waterproof covering was enough._ Zipping open the bag, I pulled out a large, plastic container. It was something I found in my luggage that I knew was waterproof, and I had gladly took it along since I knew I would most likely be joining the Allies in being stranded.

 _Got my phone._ I pulled my phone out of another waterproof casing _(nothing wrong with being overprotective!)_ before gently setting it aside in the sand.

 _Blanket, towel, swimsuit, granola bars, water bottle, and bandages!_ I tugged out the roll of bandages with a pleased look.

"Sorry, I'm not a professional doctor." I told Britain as I pulled out a bandaged strip and started to gently wrap it around his head.

 _At least the bleeding will stop._ Britain didn't make a sound as I continued to wrap the gauze around his head until the entire wound was covered. To finish up, I made a knot with the bandage on the side of his head, and then slowly lowered his head back down.

 _This is why I can't be a doctor._ My bandaging was messy to say in the least, but I was glad I had at least attempted to help Britain heal faster.

 _Now what about me?_ I knew that I too had to have suffered a head injury, if the last thing I remembered was correct, so I cautiously felt around the edge of my head until pain shot out.

 _Ouch! That's the bump alright._ I felt cautiously around the bump's edge, and pulled back to examine my hand.

 _No blood._ I was relieved to find that I wasn't too badly injured from my fall.

 _Just a bump for all that trouble... How did that not kill me?_ As I thought back, I was puzzled by the mere fact that I hadn't drowned. I had been unconscious when I hit the water, and clearly it wasn't Britain who saved me since he was hurt worst than myself.

 _Let me guess, a dolphin saved my life._ I had heard many odd stories about dolphins saving drowning people, but I felt like it was unlikely.

 _Maybe my body being frozen in time helped._ I wondered if like with my hunger and exhaustion, the frozen effect had also slowed down the rate at which I drowned. If it had, it was possible that I had been able to hold my breath long enough for me to be pulled to shore by the waves.

 _It's the only explanation I got._ I didn't want to ponder over it anymore because my head still throbbed a little from being so mistreated by the railing of the ship.

 _Whatever, I should just-_

"MA-O! MA-OOO!" The sound coming from the ocean startled me into looking around the beach like a startled animal.

 _That sounds like a cat._ I wondered, hurrying to my feet and still swiveling around.

"MA-O!" My ears traced the direction of the sound, and I finally found the source.

 _Britain-cat?_ I wasn't sure how, but there was Britain-cat paddling himself frantically above the waves and halfway in the ocean.

 _Hold up, can't he swim?!_ I had heard that Britain was a poor swimmer, and assumed his cat version was the same, but I figured he could swim enough to not sink. My theory was proven incorrect when I watched Britain-cat disappear beneath the water's surface.

 _No!_ I ran into the ocean splashing water everywhere, and then I dove down when I was in deep enough. With zero eyesight, I reached out frantically until I hit a small thrashing figure and pulled it up with high hopes.

"Britain-cat? Are you alright?!" I asked him, watching the wet cat spit water out. I laid him on my shoulder and I could hear him continue to cough up water as I paddled us back to the shore, which was none too far away for a strong swimmer like myself.

 _Nation cats can't die like the nation humans, right?_ I lowered Britain-cat down onto the sand and watched him with worry as he continued to make little coughing noises.

 _I don't think CPR works on a cat, and I don't know how to do CPR anyway._ I bent down near Britain-cat who was still laying down and coughing occasionally until he stopped making any sounds at all. Then I watched Britain-cat close his eyes in what I sincerely hoped was exhaustion.

After a moment of hesitance, I grew more worried and called out, "Britain-cat?" I was ready to reach out and poke him when one green eye lifted open and stared at me.

"Ma-o." Britain-cat spoke up, starring at me with his one eye.

"You're tired, huh?" I was assured that Britain-cat was out of the danger zone as he struggled to push himself onto all fours.

"Let me help." I told him as I lifted him up a little until he was fully standing up. Stubbornly, Britain-cat pulled away from the hand I used to lift him somewhat, but he crumpled the second he was on his own.

"You're really too prideful sometimes." I sighed. Thus I ignored the meow of protest, and lifted him into my arms.

"Don't whine about it. You didn't accept my hug last time, but now you need to be carried around whether you enjoy it or not." I spoke sternly down at him.

"Ma-o!" Britain-cat protested and shifted in my arms.

"Why is it so hard for you people to just accept some care?" I asked to no one in particular while I went back to my backpack and Britain. Leaning over, I set the cat down and pulled my towel out. Britain-cat once again tried to rise, and fell back onto his stomach.

"Don't move." I got a corner of my towel and started to rub it against Britain-cat's dripping wet fur.

"Ma-o!" Britain-cat ducked away from the cloth, but unable to run with the little energy he had allowed me to wipe him off entirely.

"Now instead of a newborn kitten, you can look like a ball of fluff." I smirked as I stared at the cat, who now had his fur fluffed up and sticking up in odd areas due to my fight to dry him off.

"Ma-ooo." Britain-cat near hissed at me, obviously annoyed by my treatment.

"If you didn't want to be saved, you shouldn't have called for me."

"Ma-o." Britain-cat glared at me with a look that clearly said, "I wished it hadn't been you." Feeling immature, I stuck my tongue out at him, before I picked him up again. Ignoring his weak attempts at scratching me, I leaned over to place him on top of the folded up blanket I packed and then I got back up.

"Do yourself a favor and rest a little." I told him as I pulled out my swim suit and towel from the container, and walked off into the forest area for privacy.

 _That crazy cat probably hid somewhere on Britain's ship, and got stranded like us._ I figured that if Britain-cat had fallen into the ocean like the rest of us, then he had to swim quiet a length to get to near shore.

 _Add to that being a naturally bad swimmer and you get an instant mix for near drowning_. I struggled to take off my heavy shirt, pants, and boots. Once I was freed from them, I dried myself off with my towel and started to replace my clothing with the swimsuit.

 _I'm glad I've never been a bikini wearer._ My swim suit consisted of black shorts that went up mid thigh and and a black short sleeve with a hood attached. The reason for the hood, and strings to tighten the hood, were something I had never figured out, but I still considered it my favorite swim wear. It was odd, but I liked it that way. Therefore, I tossed the rest of my wet clothes into my arms and set off to return to the shore.

 _Of course._ Walking back to my wannabe campsite, I wasn't too surprised to find one of the Britains were missing.

 _Stubborn little tsundere cat._ I shook my head in exasperation and then took a seat near my backpack. I took my time to spread out my pants, shirt, towel, and boots onto the sandy beach to let them dry off.

 _Once that sun hits, it will dry off quick._ I leaned back on my arms as I looked up at the sun, which had fully risen.

 _I don't think there's much else I can do, but wait._ I gathered up what I either hadn't used or wasn't drying back into the container, and then glanced at Britain. I hated how pale he looked as he laid so motionless on the sandy ground, but I was aware that there was nothing else I could do for him.

"Guess it's just you and me." I told him with dry mirth. Laying back, I figured that I could at least relax and maybe manage to trick myself into believing I was on a simple vacation.

 _Hetalia, you sure out did yourself this time._ After such a rough ordeal, I fell into a day dream while I lazily closed my eyes and took a much needed break.

* * *

"Come on. Come on. Come on already!" I shouted, irritated with the dry piece of stick. I rubbed the stick as fast as I could on the piece of wood underneath it, but nothing happened.

 _Not even smoke. Seriously?_ I knew it wouldn't be easy to start a fire without matches, but I figured it was worth a shot since I had nothing better to do.

 _You know what, I'm done. Forget this!_ I tossed the stick back into the pile of dry wood I had collected from the forest.

 _It's not too cold anyhow._ Considering I was wearing all black, I felt pretty warm as the sun's rays hit me. The issue of heat, I assumed, wouldn't be a problem until nightfall.

 _Not too late for an early start. Does that make sense? Ugh, I'm so bored._ I hesitated to pull out my phone, just in case Britain woke up without warning. Yet I was becoming more inclined to play a few phone apps as time passed, since Britain had made only a couple of mumbled sounds within the past few hours. I figured he was getting better since the bandage on his head had no blood seeping through it, and I doubted he would be asleep for much longer.

 _Maybe just one game._ I stretched out on the beach despite how the movement got sand in my hair.

 _It doesn't matter, it still looks fine._ For some reason, my blonde hair was still perfectly straight, despite being soaked by water, and my colored hair was still lightly curled.

 _Maybe I have heat damage._ Even with heat damage, I knew my hair should have reverted back to its natural wavy state since I had not gotten a hair perm to keep it straightened.

 _Body frozen in time thing? Probably the reason._ I really didn't care why my body was reacting to the world oddly, so I ended that train of thought.

 _Self control loses, I'm playing._ I reached out for my phone, and quickly pulled back when I touched something much softer.

"Britain-cat?!" I shouted as I sat up and turned my head to meet familiar green eyes.

"You came back." I straightened up further, only to stare quizzically at Britain-cat's face.

"And you went fishing?" I asked in wonder since Britain-cat had two fish hanging from his mouth. In reply, Britain cat walked up to me and laid one of what appeared to be salmon across my legs.

"What's this for?" I questioned the feline, but I realized that was pretty foolish to do since his mouth was preoccupied with a fish.

"Hold up, is this a thank you?" I asked Britain-cat who nudged the fish closer towards me before turning around to leave.

"It's too bad I won't be able to cook this." I muttered to myself, only to see Britain-cat freeze and turn to face me again. I swore his eyes conveyed, "You're so daft," as he wandered over to Britain.

"What are you doing?" Britain-cat released his salmon onto the ground while he stuffed his head into one of Britain's pants pockets, and pulled out something silver with his teeth.

"That's a lighter." I muttered to myself, as he laid it on the sandy ground and gave it a kick in my direction. Without another glance at me, he latched onto the fish with his mouth and hurried into the forest area behind the shoreline.

"Thanks!" I shouted at his retreating form, unhurt by the way he continued walking without acknowledging my words.

 _Aw, tsundere cat is cute when he's being grateful._ I smiled warmly as I grabbed the lighter and brought it over to my pile of sticks.

 _I am starting to grow a little hungry, so burn baby burn!_ I had a semi-malicious grin on my face when I lit two of the sticks and tossed it in with the rest. The flames spread quickly, and I soon had a nice fire going.

"I'm sure Britain would enjoy a nice, warm meal when he wakes up." Once the fire was secured, I stopped adding the dry sticks I had gathered. Then I stuck the fish onto one of the twigs, and enjoyed the smell of it cooking as I held it above the flames.

 _Burn baby burn! Duh duh dun dun dun! Buuurn baby burn!_ I hummed to myself, being too wary to actually turn on my phone and listen to the actual song.

 _Woosh!_ An odd noise drifted from the direction of the forest. I looked over, but I couldn't make out much in the thick foliage. It was much darker in the forest area than on the beach so I had to squint in order to get a better look.

"Hello?" I questioned aloud, feeling like one of the idiots from a cliche horror movie. Unlike them though, there was no place to run and I certainly wasn't going to walk over to the strange noise and check it out like a huge dummy.

"China? America? Britain-cat..." I started to call out different names right before a recognizable figure walked out from the darkness.

 _...This was bound to happen eventually._

With his katana in hand, Japan stepped forward with cautious eyes.

 _That is a million times more freaky than the anime showed._ As my and Japan's eyes met, I got to get an up close and personal look at the definition of soulless.

 _It's like he's dead inside._ I felt squeamish as I took in Japan's dark brown eyes, only to find not an ounce of emotion in them. It was like staring into the eyes of a statue, and not even a spark of life seemed to reside in them. If it wasn't for the hint of a curious expression on his face, he would have resembled a living corpse.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Japan questioned while lowering his katana, as he obviously deemed me more of a puzzle than a threat.

 _He really has a strong accent._ I felt my thoughts drift to the way Japan put an "r" where there should be another letter in his speech, and the strange nature of his voice where it was both soft and stern.

"I'm May." I replied, once I noticed Japan still hadn't received a reply. "You're Japan, right?" I questioned softly, unsure as to what Japan's next move would be.

 _He's one of the hardest people to read._ With the lack of feeling in his eyes and so little expression, even in his body language, I actually had trouble determining what he was thinking.

"You know our names?" A hint of shock wavered in his voice.

"Um, yeah." I shrugged, lowering my fish on a twig to the side, and getting up. "The Allies are my friends, and it would be a bit weird if I didn't know my own friends' names... or the names of those they mentioned." I told him the simplest answer I could think of.

"How did you become acquainted with the Allies?" Japan sounded a tad curious as he stared at my hair, probably wondering why in the world it appeared to be so strangely colored since I forgot to cover it up in my hurry to leave for the ships. I also noticed when he caught sight of my shorts, a light blush tinged his cheeks and he quickly looked away.

"Chance encounter." I shrugged casually, but kept a sharp eye on Japan's movements.

"Why-"

"Sorry to interrupt you," I cut into Japan's next question, "but there's not much else I'm willing to tell you. Yes, I know you guys are personified nations. Yes, I look really weird and I'm strangely clothed. And yes, I know I shouldn't be here, but I came with the Allies because they're my friends and I didn't want to stay behind in case they got into trouble." I finished everything as quickly as I could, trying my best to look as innocent as I knew I was.

 _At least his presence helps my "honestly just here to help my friends" plea._ I risked a glance at the injured Britain.

"...I believe you." Japan said, nodding to me while he finally put away his katana completely.

"Thanks." I muttered, before I suddenly remembered something. "Oh, um... Konichiwa, Japan-sama." I gave a polite bow in Japan's direction and quickly rose up from my bow.

"Y-you know my language, but you are American." Japan's eyes had widened while he stared at me.

"I don't know Japanese fluently, but I picked up some words in your language. I mean, America does have people from all around the world, including Japanese people." I explained calmly. It was tough not blurting out how I watched anime with English subs sometimes, since I doubted it would make sense to anyone in this time period. From the words I did admit though, Japan continued to stare at me, as if examining my words for its true value.

"...You did not have to say sama. I have done nothing to earn such a respectful title." Japan explained nervously, almost bashful.

 _Oh yeah, I forgot about that._ I had always liked Japan in the anime, so I guess I had automatically given him a respectful title such as sama in my head instead of san like most people would.

"Gomen'nasia." I apologized for making him uncomfortable.

"You are very _different_ , but I am grateful for your attempt to speak my language." Japan stated, still gazing at me like I was an incomplete puzzle.

"Anyway, now that we met, can I ask you a question?" I asked him, and waited for Japan to give me a hesitant nod.

"Alright, so, what are you doing here?"

"I saw the smoke from your fire and decided to investigate." Japan replied.

"So you're not here to hurt Britain or something, right?" I questioned, moving over to stand in front of Britain's prone body. I knew that if Japan really wanted to he could easily get past me, but I had a feeling he wouldn't if that truly was his intention.

"I will not. It would be dishonorable to attack an enemy who cannot fight back." Japan replied, sparing a glance at Britain with something akin to remorse.

 _And he was your friend once upon a time, huh?_ I wondered if Japan ever felt guilty for becoming an enemy of Britain, due to their friendly past, but I decided not to dwell on such thoughts.

"Great." I told him with a welcoming smile. "If that's the case, you hungry?" I asked him, lifting the fish up and putting it over the fire again.

"What do you mean?" I had caught Japan off guard as he stared at me in bewilderment.

"I mean, do you want half of the fish?" I clarified, since he hadn't really given me an answer.

"No, I... You would help an enemy?" Japan cleared up his own original question.

"No, I probably wouldn't. Good thing I don't have any enemies around." Japan looked at with wide eyes, and I finally took pity on him. With a sigh, I stopped being elusive and stated, "I'm neutral when it comes to most things. Politics and wars included. I'm also a pacifist." Japan's face loosened from it's confounded expression.

"Sure it makes me angry to know what you did to my country, and yeah, a part of me wants to punch you." I gazed deeply into the embers of the fire as I flipped the fish to its other side. "But I don't see any point in acting on my anger. What good will it do except make more wars, something I hate, and besides... No country is without fault in this war." I finished off with a thick voice, pulling the salmon away from the flames since I saw it was starting to blacken on its edges.

 _You'll see that soon enough when they make that bomb._ I struggled not to allow remorse to show up on my face, as I wondered if the war in Hetalia would end the same way it had in my world.

"I see." Japan stated with his eyes and face blank while he studied me.

"So, you want some or not?" I asked him once again, holding the salmon up and closer to him.

"Don't you need it for yourself and Britain?" Japan questioned, looking down at the salmon.

"Nope. I already ate some food earlier, and Britain's not available to voice an opinion. So if you want half, it's fine by me." I explained to Japan, not inclined to mention how I didn't get hungry that often.

"If that is so, I shall accept your gift." Japan replied oh so respectfully. Grabbing a large leaf off one of the trees nearby, I placed the fish on it, and realized something was missing.

"Um, got anything to cut this?" I asked, feeling a nervous sweat drop form on my head.

"My katana has not been used for battle since I cleaned it." Japan stated, pulling the weapon out. I then handed him the fish and watched him efficiently cut the salmon in half with it.

 _Cool._ I felt a little awe from Japan's small display of his katana skills.

"Arigato, May-san." Japan nodded to me as he sheathed his sword and I gave him one half of the salmon on another leaf.

"Sayonara, Japan-san." I replied. Then Japan gave a quick bow before he turned and headed back into the forest.

 _Enemies, frenemies, and friends. I could write a book on this._ I set down the leaf with the other half of the fish on it. I also slid my pile of granola bars and water bottle next to it.

 _Everything would be perfect, if only Britain would wake up_. I took a seat at Britain's side, and glanced at him before looking back up to the sky.

"Hurry up, Britain. I don't want to have to start drawing faces on coconuts and naming them Bob." The sun shone on bright in the afternoon heavens, but Britain slept on oblivious.

* * *

"Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will **turn**." ~Harriet Beecher Stowe

* * *

 **Wow, I wrote this entire chapter in one day. Seriously, I was just so into this that I didn't even notice the hours passed!**

 **Anyway, thanks for the reviews from last time and please feel free to leave more! They really do inspire me to write on despite the little free time** **I have to do so.**

 **Next time, prepare for the conclusion of this stranded mess and a final meeting between the Axis and Allies!**

 **Byes!**


	12. Chapter 12: Connections

**Hello, everybody! Thanks for contributing to this story with all your following of this fanfic! Thanks to you guys, we have over 50 follows, which is amazing!**

 **Sorry I took four weeks to update, but now it's finally show time, and I hope everyone enjoys the conclusion to this segment of Hetalia!**

 **Disclaimer: ...That moment when you realize you technically only had to have a disclaimer saying you don't own Hetalia once in a story and all other disclaimers were unnecessary... Yup. :[**

* * *

 **Nearness** (also known as Familiarity): Not far away in time; a closeness among **Friends**

* * *

 _6:23?_ _I'm going to go insane on this stupid island._ For the past couple of hours, I had caved in and started to play all the apps I wanted, whilst hoping my phone wouldn't die on me before I could return to civilization. I also read some books of my interest such as crime novels, manga _(not Hetalia for obvious reasons)_ , and comic books online. Overall, I had managed to suppress my boredom, but now I was losing interest in my phone.

 _I miss my bestie, Ameri-bro. We'd be doing something fun if he was around_. It was only once we were separated that I actually realized how close me and that cat had became. We had conversations, despite his lack of speaking a human language, and we hung out often in America's house and on the island. Talking, hanging out, and having fun was essentially what I and my friends did with each other, and I basically did the same things with him. Like with my companions back home, I also felt comfortable being my self around him. And though he disappeared often, somehow I was certain he would always return to me.

 _It's like being around America, except as a cat, and isn't that the point of Nekotalia?_ I missed seeing America-cat because, human or not, he was possibly the best friend I had in this world, maybe even a little more than America himself.

 _Whoever said someone had to be a human to be a best pal?_ I shrugged to myself before sprawling out onto the sand and staring at the sky to watch the clouds.

"Hurghh..." The sound that came from Britain resembled a low groan.

 _That was louder than usual._ I thought with idle curiosity as I sat back up. For the past hour, Britain had made soft mumbling sounds like he was stirring, but he had yet to even twitch. Quickly mulling over the uniqueness of the noise, I decided to investigate and rose up to walk over to Britain.

"Urghhh... What?" Britain coughed out.

 _Hey, he actually said a word!_ I was hopeful as I leaned over Britain, blocking his eyes from the harsh sun just in case my hope wasn't a lost cause.

"Are you awake, Britain?" I asked him in a whisper, watching his eyes briefly flutter open and close.

"Come on, you can wake up now." I tried to encourage him when I saw his eyes twitch beneath his eyelids, and this time, his eyes fluttered open and stayed open in a sharp squint.

"W-what is going on here?" Britain spoke with a slight slur while his eyes gradually opened wider. I allowed him time to recollect himself and observed his eyes roving the area around him until they lingered on me.

"May?" Britain questioned, and I backed up a little so he could fully take in the sight of me.

"Gah! What is that dreadful light?" Britain tossed a hand in front of his face as the sunlight pierced his eyes.

"It's a little something called the sun. Maybe you've heard of it?" I joked, relieved that Britain was finally conscious.

"The sun? What time is it?" Britain shakily pushed himself up into a sitting position and squinted at the bright sky.

"Sometime in the middle of afternoon." I replied, worried that giving him the exact time I had seen on my phone would lead to questions I couldn't risk answering.

"The ship!" Britain cried out with wide eyes, the memory clearly having just returned to him.

"Probably at the bottom of the ocean, along with America's and Japan's." I responded bluntly since I was under the impression that Britain preferred straight answers over cushioned, long-winded ones.

"I assume we failed to capture them." Britain sighed, running a hand down his face in frustration.

"Yup, though the Axis probably got shipwrecked on the same island as ourselves." I told him in an unruffled manner.

"What is this?" Britain inquired when his fingertips unintentionally brushed against the mound of bandages surrounding his head.

"You were bleeding pretty badly before." I meekly stated while Britain started to rip the bandages off with a huff of annoyance. "Sorry, but I'm not much of a doctor, so I kind of just wrapped your head up and hoped for the best." I explained, noting the incredulous look on his face once he noticed just how much gauze I had winded around his head.

"Hm, I doubt it had anything to do with my skills but you look fine now." I stared a little starry eyed at the area Britain was injured at, only to see not even a scar left where he had been hurt. The only sign he had ever been injured was the blood which colored some of the gauze a rusted brown color.

"That is always how it works." Britain muttered, obviously not shocked by his speedy recovery.

"So, you feeling alright now?" I kindly continued, wondering if he still felt some pain.

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Britain asked sharply.

"Hey, I was just checking." I raised my hands up in mock defense at his critical tone.

 _Seriously, dude? I didn't expect a thank you, but jeez._ Feeling unappreciated, I suddenly recalled a scene from Hetalia where Britain had been sick and France had found him in a sorry state.

"France was right; you are more appealing when you're asleep." I muttered, a little miffed.

"What?!" Britain shouted, hearing at least part of my words. That or just the name "France" was a trigger word for him.

"You hungry? I got food and a drink if you need it." I changed the subject none too subtly, pointing at the fish and water bottle.

"You found nourishment in this area?" Britain sounded disbelieving about how I had caught a fish and obtained anything to drink.

"Technically I didn't find most of it, but I had it before we were shipwrecked." I told him, pointing to my black backpack and the plastic container beside it.

"How could you have been so prepared?" Britain spoke under his breath while staring at the provisions I had with a quizzical expression.

"I knew something like this would happen." I shrugged, watching him give a longing gaze to the fish and then stare at my colorful granola bars in confusion.

"How could you have predicted something like this would occur?" Britain stared at me critically, as if searching for some clue he had missed and expecting to find it in my facial expression.

"Remember how I said some people from my world know about you guys?" Britain was taken aback by my mention of what occurred months ago, but he eventually nodded. "Well, one of the scenes I saw you guys in, from my world, was when the Allies and Axis became stranded on some island after both groups shipwrecked." I explained to Britain, bracing my body and mind for what was to come.

"You mean that you were aware this would happen, and you did not warn us?!" Britain shouted and anger tinged his face red.

"Yes." My voice was calm with a hint of being condescending. "I thought I established stuff like this would happen when I first arrived in this world." I saw Britain's face fall as he remembered my words and possibly my outburst of that day. "I told you I wouldn't say anything that might give you an advantage over the Axis. If I had warned you about shipwrecking, but not the Axis, I would be betraying my own words." I spoke with cool eyes, watching comprehension drain the anger from himself.

"Anyway, you ready to eat or are you going to keep staring at the fish like you're ready to marry it?" I asked him, waving a hand at the half of a fish I had saved for him.

"What are those?" Britain moved on from my reminder of the past and gestured to the granola bars.

"Those are actually snacks from the future. They're generally made of nuts, oats, or some other grain, and are coated in honey or any flavor you can think of. So do you prefer strawberry short cake, s'mores, vanilla, or chocolate peanut butter flavor?" I questioned while showing off the titles of all four bars.

"With ghastly names such as those, this must be an American creation." Britain looked disgusted by the majority of the names I had listed. "I suppose the vanilla one would be the most edible." Britain reluctantly chose, and I handed him one of the two vanilla bars I had.

"Good choice, I love these." I took the last vanilla one to munch on myself and then sat down beside him.

"Oh, and the water bottle is filled with fresh water. I haven't taken a sip." I mumbled after chowing down on my lovely granola. Hence me and Britain entered a moment of silence as we were both preoccupied with eating our fill.

 _I could get used to this scene._ I reveled in the sight of the sunset over the calm ocean with admiration, as I found the view to be stunning considering I never got such a view in the city I lived in or at America's house.

 _Almost reminds me of my dive training in the Navy and-_

"What are you wearing?" Britain asked me, breaking the comfortable silence among us.

"Huh? Oh, you mean my swimsuit. It's something I found in my suitcase... I doubted I was going to use it at all during the off time of my internship, but you can never be too prepared." I replied, glancing at Britain. I soon found myself holding back a bout of laughter when I saw that Britain had noticed my shorts and had immediately turned away from them with a spot of red coloring his cheeks.

 _I can see how him and Japan were friends since they have so much in common._ I smiled to myself, making sure not to look at Britain, so he wouldn't notice how he was the source of my amusement.

"Sooo, what do we do now?" I asked him flippantly, leaning back on my arms. "I've already established camp pretty much, but I can't think of what else to do except wait for a rescue." I gestured to the fire, which was shrinking in intensity, and my container full of supplies.

"We can do more than simply wait. We can go search for our own source of a rescue." Britain spoke indignantly, rising up with only a slight stumble. I soon joined him and got up myself, while wiping the granola crumbs from my face.

"Better than sitting around here." I agreed as I followed Britain towards the edge of the forest.

 _I doubt anyone will be messing with our little camp._ I gave one quick glance to the fire that had almost died out, the pack of supplies, the clothes laying out, and the shoreline. Then I gave a half shrug and hurried on into the greenery.

* * *

 _Nope, it was pointless. I knew it wouldn't get us anywhere._ I and Britain had trudged around the forest for a good couple of hours, almost ended up getting more lost, and we never found a single trace of the other nations. Somehow finding our way back, we ended up back at out makeshift campsite in less than stellar moods.

"This blasted island." I heard Britain grumble, his sour mood evident from over a mile away.

 _And there goes his complaining. He takes "you mad, bro?" much too seriously._ Besides having to stumble around the forest until my feet ached, I also had to put up with Britain complaining for the last hour about every little thing. Staying true to his character, Britain had a short fuse and in stereotypical British fashion, he was easily irritated by everything that existed in the universe.

 _The dude can be such a whiner! Let's just be real._

"I can't stand these stupid plants." Britain continued to grumble, sending a glare at the forest he had learned to hate within a matter of minutes.

 _If it wasn't him stumbling over a root or the fact that he couldn't locate the other nations, it was me._ I couldn't help but reflect on how Britain had not only complained about the forest, but he even had the audacity to complain about me with the most subtle remarks, such as "May, do put some effort" or "Haven't you found anything helpful yet?"

 _Come on, man! I'm not Sherlock, and ironically, neither are you._ _I couldn't find the other nations even if I used my future knowledge!_ It seemed that being in Britain's oh so lovely company had turned my relatively good mood into one that likened sour milk.

"If only we had moved faster, we may have caught a sign of them." Britain's paced like a caged animal, still fuming over our lack of success. Though I felt my hand twitch into a fist when I realized he might of been hinting that I had been the sole reason for our failure by slowing him down.

"It's not my fault some of us just can't keep up." I had intended to keep the angry words in my head, but I was getting irritated and my control was slipping.

"Yes, it is mournful that some people simply don't know how to hurry up." Britain muttered in reply, without looking away from the ocean shoreline, but I didn't have to see his face in order to know what he was implying.

 _Oh, Britain, you sure are hard-headed_. Clearly Britain hadn't learned his lesson on how I personally felt about being disrespected. However, I still somehow managed to reign in my bubbling fury and stamp out the flame of indignation that was yearning to rip Britain a new one.

 _You exploded on Britain last time, that was wrong, and you regretted it._ Yet something had to be said before I completely snapped.

"You know what, Britain? I'm starting to see just why no one wants to hang out with you." My voice was terse with thinly concealed fury.

"What?!" Britain demanded, swiveling around to face me with his hands curling into fists. Britain had already been greatly irritated before I spoke I word, but now his annoyance was heightened and I knew he was itching to get into a fight.

"You heard me." My tone was firm. "Or has your old age made you deaf?" Britain narrowed his eyes at me. "I basically just said that I can see why you don't have any friends." I continued on, and I noticed some of Britain's fury patter out when my words struck a chord in him.

"Whatever do you me?!" Britain recovered, and was tense as he glared at me.

"You know what I'm talking about. _Friends_. That group of people you don't have." I continued on, a patronizing tone entering my voice.

"I'll have you know that-"

"Oh, _do_ tell me." My quick agreement to hear his defense shocked him. "Seriously, I really want to hear you tell me what friends you have." My voice was soft, but my eyes were hard. "Go on, tell me about the _many_ friends you have. And when I say that, I mean friends that are actually human beings." Britain's mouth shut close and he looked mildly surprised by my added rule _(no flying mint bunny for him!)_. "Now go on and tell me what friends you currently have, not ones you had in the past, but right now in 1942."

Realizing who he might risk mentioning, I further remarked, "By the way, family doesn't count even if you don't consider said nations to be your family anymore." The last part was spoken in a low whisper while I appraised Britain with an exaggerated look of expectation. Thus Britain stared at me in silent contemplation, but I felt some of my anger ebbing away so I gave him a chance to speak for a few extra moments.

"I... I have a few." Britain muttered, but the fire was no longer in his words and they didn't carry any strength behind them.

"Bet you can count them all on one hand too. Maybe even one finger." I told him, but a gentleness had entered my voice despite the bluntness of my words.

"Like I said, I can tell you why that is." I sighed a little, as I cooled myself down. I hurried to my next words before he mistook me though.

"You're almost always in a foul mood, you get angered too easily, sometimes you scare people, you don't express yourself very clearly so you're often misinterpreted, your food gives some people nightmares," Britain looked mildly offended by that mention," And quiet frankly, you're a lot like me." I finished off with a long sigh.

"W-what?" Britain was startled by the sudden turn in my speech.

"I don't know if you noticed, but you really bring out the worst in me, Britain." I started quietly, looking at Britain with a sad smile.

"You're not a very happy person, in fact, you're an angry one. When you aren't, give it a few minutes and you'll find something that can bring the flames out of you." I spoke passionately as Britain held a reserved look. "Then, once you're properly mad, you can throw out such sharp insults with that silver tongue of yours, and be so hurtful."

"But so can I." I concluded, staring at Britain with something akin to resignation.

"I know I have a temper; just like you if not worse. The only difference between me and you, is that I try to keep a lid on it and I'm almost always successful. You either don't care to try or you just lack the control." Britain watched me with bewilderment, but an odd look of understanding was starting to pass over his face.

"Sometimes it's good that we have such common traits, as it makes it so easy to relate and talk to you with a comprehension that most people lack. However, those traits also cause you and me to butt heads a lot. My sparks versus your flames, and next thing you know, we've got a wildfire between us." I felt my voice dimming to a whisper as I realized how deeply my own words were cutting into myself.

"Thinking over all that I've said, I guess there is one thing I got wrong." I started to smile a wicked grin.

"What did you get wrong?" Britain asked me in all seriousness, but his voice had gotten soft like mines.

"Assuming you weren't lying about having at least one friend, you can't just use one finger to count them all... Because by now, I hoped you realize that you at least got two." I smiled up at the dark sky, no longer able to admit such personal thoughts and maintain eye contact as well. I then descended into silence as I drank in the gravity of my own little speech.

"You have quiet a sharp tongue yourself." Britain mumbled after a beat, though he was also not looking in my direction either.

 _Hope I haven't made it too awkward for a tsundere._

Grasping at straws, I began, "Lets set up the fire again, it's getting late." I granted us both the distraction we needed after the personal conversation had left us both feeling a tad uncomfortable.

 _Add neither of us can handle too many feels to the "Similar List", 'cause I think we have that in common too._ Britain was silent as he pulled out a lighter from his pocket and I reorganized the last of the firewood into a nice circle of overlapping branches. Together we silently got a fire going, and once we were sure it was steady by itself, we both sat down on the sand beside it.

"I guess we can try to look for the others again in the morning." I mentioned after the silence endured for a while.

"I suppose so." Britain agreed, sounding like he had nothing more to say. The silence reigned for another beat, before I decided to clear up the awkward air.

"It's not too late right now. So how about we tell some stories?" I suggested in moment of randomness, startling Britain enough to make him look up from the flames and stare at me.

"We've got a fire, a camp, and all we need is some campfire stories to tell." I explained, building off the sudden idea I had.

"Stories? Care to specify?" Britain's curiosity was piqued from the sound of his voice.

"Any type I guess." I shrugged, while poking the fire with a stick to stir up some flames. "It could be true or made up. One about yourself or maybe someone else. Scary, not scary, it doesn't matter." I looked up at Britain with an encouraging smile.

"Another one of your games?" I heard Britain mutter, but not address me directly as he stared off to the side.

"Got any stories you wanna share?" I asked him a bit teasingly, while looking at him expectantly.

"I... Well-" Britain seemed flustered by my sudden request.

"Really? Over a thousand years old and you still can't think of one good story to tell?" I asked him, half jokingly while I mock sighed. Britain opened his mouth to give an excuse, but I interrupted.

"Fine, then I'll start." I leaned back and looked up at the dark blue, starry sky as I racked my brain for words.

"Well, I've only lived on my world for nineteen years, but a lot has happened to me. Some good, some crazy, some bad, and some things I don't know what to make of..." I trailed off as I tried to decide which story to tell. Though I continued to look up at the stars, I could sense that Britain's attention was all on me.

 _Hmmm... I could talk about senior prank, but he might not get it... Or how about that one time!_

"Now I know what to say." Britain didn't speak, but as I gazed over at him, I swore he seemed just a tad eager. It was possible he wanted to learn more about me, like America had when we were on the plane, or he might of thought I might slip up and mention something about future technology or events. I hoped it wasn't the last potential reasoning, since I assumed he was over that, but I knew the story I was about to tell him would be safe if I kept certain details out.

"It all began during summer break after second grade. I was seven years old and both of my parents still had to work so they sent me to this summer camp, though it was more like a day care since I was picked up and taken home every afternoon." I felt myself get lost in the memory as I tried to recall every minute detail.

 _I was wearing a pink t-shirt with a large white bow in the front. My hair looked like a bowl haircut except I had two large pigtails on the sides of my head. My mother, with her love of bows, had tied the pigtails with a set of matching pink bows that had what appeared to be snowballs hanging off them. The only thing I had actually decided to wear myself were these ratty, dark green goggles around my neck that almost looked the ones pilots wore. They didn't have the same meaning to me as they did in years prior, but I didn't have the heart to throw the goggles away._

"I had been going to that camp for a few days, but most of us kids didn't really know each other, so I didn't talk to many of them. That changed when I met somebody. It's a little foggy, but I'll never truly forget the day I met my best friend."

 _It was free time, where basically us campers got to hang out and play on the campground until the counselors figured out a group activity we could do. I had wandered a little ways off to do some exploring, humming to myself as I pretended to find some uncharted land. I was looking down as I concentrated on the tree stumps I was hopping on like stepping stones in a raging river. I was about to hop again when a sky blue ball landed near me._

"It was kind of a strange first meeting."

 _I looked up and saw another kid standing a few feet away. She had long, straight blonde hair and silvery blue eyes that stared at me curiously. Her complexion was very pale and I wondered if she had ever been under the sun before today._

 _"Hey!" She greeted me while racing forward to grab the ball._ _I stared back at her blankly before I quietly said, "Hi."_

 _"Whatcha doing here?" The girl asked me after she had secured he ball back into her arms._

 _"Looking for adventure." I told her, glancing around the campsite. To my disappointment, I saw only a parking lot in front, a lodge to the right, and forest behind the lodge._

 _"That sounds fun! Can I join ya?" Her eyes shined as she asked me, a bounce in her step as she spoke._

 _"Sure!" I grew a little more confident, and I gave her a wide smile._

 _"So where's the adventure?" She asked, looking around the campsite as if adventure would spontaneously greet us._

 _"I don't know, we have to find it first." I told her while I stepped off the stump and realized the girl was a little taller than me._

"She was the complete opposite of me. Her appearance, personality, and everything about her was different."

 _"I got an idea!" The girl shouted, grabbing my sleeve and tugging on it._

 _"What? What?" I asked, anxious for something to do._

 _"Let's go back there." She pointed towards the back of the lodge where the forest was._

 _"But the counselors said that's a No Zone!" I was shocked, remembering how the counselors told us to never go behind the lodge unless an adult was with us._

 _"I know, but I heard that there's this place back there with super tall, dirt hills that kids can slide down like they're skateboarding! And there's this river thing that you have to hop over to get there!" The girl eyes grew wide as she expressed her joy at the idea._

 _"I don't know. Is it safe?" I asked myself more than the girl._

 _"One of the older kids told me that the counselors let a group of kids go back there a couple of times. They even showed me how to get there!" She tried to convince me, though I still felt unease._

"She was insistent that we go into the forest. Back then it was awesome, but I now think it was pretty dangerous for a bunch of kids to pull a stunt like that."

 _I and the girl made sure to act like we were entering the lodge to go to the restroom, but the minute the counselors were looking in the opposite direction, we ran to the side of the lodge instead of entering it._

 _"This is crazy!" I shouted between giggles, with the excitement of being secretive getting to me._

 _"I know!" The girl agreed as we glanced both ways and then made a wild dash into the forest area. I and her were both laughing as we flew forward, knowing we had to be deep enough in the woods so the counselors wouldn't catch us passing the Safety Boundary._

"Seriously, I don't think that camp should be open for letting a couple of kids escape into some random forest." I took a moment to consider how I had managed not to be eaten by a bear, before I shrugged and moved on with the story.

 _Once we were sure we could look back without seeing the campsite, we stopped running and slowed into a walk._

 _"Sooo, where to?" I asked, still laughing a little bit at the thought that I had outsmarted those adults._

 _"Just keep walking, we're almost toward the jump." She assured with a wide smile, revealing a tooth missing in her front teeth._

 _"Cool." I stated, walking forward until I heard what sounded like gurgling water._

 _"Here it is." She announced proudly._

"Let me tell you, that thing looked like a canyon when I was a kid. It was actually just a little rift between the land, making one side a few feet away from the other. I think erosion made it because the bottom, which was about ten feet below, had a little water running through it. It was more muddy than a stream, but that's not what I thought back then."

 _"You want to go across that?! What if you fall?!" I whispered yelled, still paranoid of getting caught._

 _"You just gotta jump really high." The girl laughed at my wide eyed expression, and then she started to run._

 _"..." I couldn't form words as I watched her soar through the air and land safely on her feet across the rift._

 _"See? Now come on!" She waved me over, but I felt frightened. At the same time, I really wanted to see those dirt hills since she had painted it out to be the treasure trove of awesome exploration._

 _"O-okay!" I followed the girl's lead by taking a few steps back and then rushing forward. As I ran, I thought of the great fall that would result in my death if I wasn't fast enough-_

"Truthfully the worse that could of happened would have been falling and getting mud all over my sorry self, but child's imagination and all that."

 _Yet I just jumped anyway. I didn't start breathing again until I stumbled a little on my landing across the rift._

 _"That was fun, right?" The girl asked me, giving a little clap._

 _"Yeah, it was!" I smiled back, feeling proud of my little hop._

"I almost wish I could go back and live it all over again... That sense of adventure I had as a kid." I felt nostalgia enter my tone, but I moved on regardless.

 _"This is it, right?" I asked, wonder oozing from my entire stance. We had wandered towards a clearing where all the trees leaned away from humongous dirt piles and hills, which littered the earth._

 _"Come on!" The girl didn't hesitate to run up to the top of a hill and then slide down like she was skateboarding. I contemplated her actions for a second, and then I joined in on the fun. Every hill was a mountain in my eyes and I was going Tony Hawk it all._

"So, that's how we met. After that day, we hung out all the time." I smiled to myself at the memory.

 _"See ya, captain!" The girl called out to me as I started to walk towards my parents' car, since it was the end of the day._

 _"Captain?" I asked, confused by the title._

 _"Ain't that why people wear that?" She pointed at the goggles hanging off my neck. "Because they're the captain of a ship or something?" Her question conveyed innocence and wonder over the goggles, which was something I no longer had over them._

 _"I guess, but that's not my name. I'm May!" I clarified in an attempt to rid her of that nickname._

 _"Okay, capt'! Just call me lieutenant Paulie!" Paulie shouted before running off towards a playground set because her parents had yet to arrive. I couldn't help but stare at her with a puzzled expression before I turned away and headed towards my parents' car._

"We met up every day that summer, but then summer ended and school began." I explained to Britain who seemed to be giving me perfect attention.

"You did not see her again?" Britain asked in a hush, almost sounding mournful for my sake.

"Yeah." I sadly admitted. "That was the last time I saw her at summer camp. She didn't come back the next year, and we were too young to think of exchanging phone numbers before she left." I was lost in my thoughts before I continued. "So you can imagine my surprise when I went to Meet The Teacher Day, which was a day where new fourth graders got to meet their new teachers before the school year started, and I ran into a familiar face." The bright grin on my face wasn't a conscious expression.

 _The taller than I remember girl stared at me with an expression of surprise, which probably mirrored my own. Somehow finding the words, I called out, "Paulie?"_

 _"...That's lieutenant Paulie! Ring any bells, capt'?" The grin on our faces came as easily as the first day we met._

"It turned out me and her had been going to the same school for years, without realizing it, until that very day. After that, we talked and found out we were neighbors too, since her house was just two streets away. It was if we had never spent a year apart." I concluded.

 _"Hey, captain! I'll race you to the park!" Paulie's face positively glowed as she let her backpack fall off and she sped towards the school's playground set._

 _"No fair! You're taller and your legs are longer!" I shouted, but I joined her nonetheless. She was always challenging me to a race, and though I usually beat her, I never hesitated to be at her side._

"So that's my story." I managed to starve off the memory with a small smile lingering on my face. Britain remained silent, but the curiosity in his expression was evident.

"You're a rather good storyteller." Britain commented, looking slightly unsure about what else to say.

"Hm, thanks." I replied easily, turning back to stare up at the stars. "Now how about you give it a try? I'm all ears, you know." I tried to be convincing while remaining nonchalant. Thus there was silence on Britain's end for a second, and then he stated, "Well, since you started the theme of acquaintanceship, I shall continue it." I could tell Britain had joined me in staring up at the sky, as it probably made it easier for him to speak by ignoring my presence.

"It would be an understatement to say it was only a few centuries ago when I met... her." Britain stumbled a little over his words, but I didn't comment since it seemed the silence urged him to speak.

"I actually don't recall how long ago it was, but that is not important. I remember I was wandering through the forest when I saw a patch of light up ahead. It was night and darkness was upon me, so I could not comprehend why there was a spot of light anywhere. Allowing my curiosity to get the best of me, I forged ahead and stepped into that light. Within that area, I found a creature known as an... unicorn." Britain stopped there and I could sense his face sharply swiveling in my direction.

"And? Go on." I told him, turning to face him with a neutral expression.

"You're not surprised?" Britain sounded as if he couldn't fathom my reaction. "Or even going to tell me that there is no such creature? Tell me I'm insane and laugh at my admittance?" Britain's tone had hardened and he glared at the sandy ground.

"I'm _American_ , Britain. But I am not _America_ , and I'm a little offended you dared to treat me as such." I gave him a raised eyebrow, and his expression soon reflected slight guilt.

"I know that." Britain admitted in a huff. "I just can't believe that you-" Britain cut himself off, and paused before whispering, "You really believe me?" Britain sent a searching look in my direction with wariness written in his stance.

"In my world, I would of thought you were insane." Britain gave a barely noticeable flinch. "However, this is not my world, and I know there are different rules in this world. So yeah, I believe that if you say you saw an unicorn then you saw an unicorn." I shrugged off his words, making sure not to mention that I had saw scenes in Hetalia where he communicated with his mythical friends.

Britain grew quiet as he took in my reassurance. After a beat, he went on as if nothing had happened by questioning, "How much should I say?"

"Doesn't have a limit. Just go on, and stop when you run out of words." I went back to stargazing, hoping to ease whatever stress Britain may of been under.

"...I was startled at first since she was much taller than me back then," The image of child Britain popped in my head and I smiled at the cuteness. "But then she was so courteous and friendly. She told me her name was Uni, and ever since then, I have considered her a dear friend..." Britain's tone was wistful while he appeared to allow his memory to drive him on, and I didn't dare interrupt. I actually enjoyed hearing Britain speak without irritation or his usual grumpiness, and I found my eyes closing out of contentment while he talked.

"We used to travel all over the forest, and she would tell me about other creatures-"

 _I hope you appreciate this, Britain._ I had promised myself to help those that helped me while I was stuck in this world, and America wasn't the only nation on that list.

"I didn't speak much with my older brothers, but her companionship was all I really needed-"

 _Don't worry, I know you're lonely. And before I leave, maybe I can't get you out of that "splendid isolation" of yours, but I can make it better._

The stars twinkled in the clear sky as Britain's words became a lovely mummer in the back of my mind.

 _I'll be your friend for as long as you need._ The breeze whipped some of my hair back and I sighed out of contentment.

 _It's a promise._

* * *

"Are you out of your mind?" Britain shouted, probably startling whatever wildlife had been sleeping in the forest. His arms were raised as if to defend himself, and his face was flushed red enough that I could easily spot him even with the weak flames of our dying campfire.

I rolled my eyes and raised my own fist for emphasize as I shouted, "Can't you get rid of your pride for one darn second, Britain?! I'm trying to be nice!" I tried to convince him, tossing the folded blanket in his direction. Britain didn't attempt to catch it as it fell onto the foliage of the thin forest we were on the outskirts of.

"It's not bloody pride! It's simply not right for a gentleman and a lady to-"

"For goodness sake, it's not like anything is going to happen!" I interrupted him with my eyes narrowing.

 _He should be glad I haven't used my backpack like a shield and rammed him with it._ My fingers twitched towards the strap of the backpack full of supplies, which was slung over my shoulders.

"I know that! I'm not a pervert like France!" Britain grew more heated, his scowl deepening. I stomped my foot out of frustration and almost crashed it into a tree root since we had relocated a few feet into the forest in order to have better shelter for the night.

"Exactly!" I threw my hands up in exasperation, and in the back of my mind I realized I had lost control and needed to chill out.

"Britain, I swear I'm not going to do anything and I know you're not going to do anything, so forgive me if I'm not taking this seriously enough, but just accept it." I spoke as quietly as I could with frazzled nerves, while pinching the bridge of my nose.

"I won't-" So fed up I was that I swiftly interrupted Britain by grabbing his arms and yanking him forward. I then swept his legs from under him and released his arms. Not expecting my rapid movement, Britain pitched forward and landed on the haphazardly laid out blanket.

 _Problem solved!_ I then sat myself down and laid the backpack to the side as Britain struggled to rise up on his arms.

"How dare you-"

"How dare I what? All I did was get a stubborn Brit to ignore whatever society deems improper, suck up his pride, and go to bed on the only blanket we have." I crossed my arms behind my head while watching Britain sit up, yet hesitate to rise to his feet.

"Perhaps you don't understand because of the time period you come from, but I simply cannot sleep this close to a woman!" Britain shouted, shifting as if preparing to stand.

"Britain." I grabbed his hand and stopped him from rising. "I understand this must be awkward for you, but think about it. I've got one blanket, and it just wouldn't be right to let you sleep on the cold, sandy ground. It's a large blanket, so will you please just sleep on one end and I'll go to the other? We'll be so far apart you won't even feel my body heat." I explained calmly, letting go of his wrist as I waited for an answer.

"Why?" Britain asked, looking off to the side, with his arms crossed.

"Because I am your friend, and sharing a comfy blanket after getting stranded on an island is something friends do in this mad world." I replied easily, before shuffling the farthest right I could while still remaining on the blanket. Laying down on my side, I couldn't see Britain, only the dark forest that was now facing me. With my back turned to him, I waited a moment in anticipation until I heard some shuffling noise.

"Just don't tell, France. He would have such asinine ideas about this." Britain muttered quietly. "Claiming to be big brother." Britain scoffed the last part of his mutter, and I heard more shuffling before he grew quiet.

 _Goodnight, Britain._ Content to know the stubborn nation was finally laying on the other side of the blanket, I closed my eyes and ignored the slight chill around me.

Throwing the hood of my jacket over my head, I was content to fall into whatever dreams awaited me.

* * *

"AHHH!"

The startled, familiar cry caused my heart to race and my breathe to quicken. Jumping up with a wide eyed expression, my blearily eyesight immediately latched onto the large creature that hovered above me and a thoroughly startled Britain. Hence my brain held no thoughts as my fist flew out to strike my opponent.

"You really are strong, small girl." The unexpected voice made me halt, as I examined the gloved hand that had captured my fist and was shaking slightly with effort since I was still pressing my knuckle forward.

"Russia?!" I gasped out, my fist loosing all force behind it when my astonishment caused my arm to go limp.

"Da! It is good to be meeting you in such a place." Russia replied with a creepy smile, as he freed my fist and stood back up since he had been leaning over both me and Britain. It made sense I hadn't immediately recognized Russia since his standard scarf was in tatters and instead of a coat, all he had on was a somewhat mangled, brown tank top.

"W-wonderful to see you as well." Britain muttered with a slight waver in his voice, as he was still recovering from his "lovely" wake up call, which had been the eerie smiling face of a towering Russia.

 _Heh, can't blame him for screaming like a banshee after seeing that._ I admitted in my head while I and Britain stood up from our still half sitting up positions on the blanket.

"This is good. If you are here then our comrades should be close." Russia's smile gained a slight wicked edge as he added, "And the enemies should be near too. I look forward to our meeting!" The cheer in Russia's voice was no less than severely unsettling.

 _I'm so glad I wasn't sent back in time to the Cold War, 'cause I would hate to be on Russia's bad side._ I felt Britain and myself take a few steps away from Russia as the dark aurora formed and expanded around him.

"We had the same idea. Let's go and search for the rest of the Allies, shall we?" Britain had a forced calm in his tone as we both resigned ourselves to being stuck with Russia until we found the rest of the Allies.

"Of course! I am sure we will meet everyone soon." Russia quickly turned away from us and headed deeper into the vegetation.

"Of all the people." I heard Britain mutter to himself in slight exasperation coupled with fear. Though I simply shrugged after I had quickly grabbed the blanket from the ground, and without dusting it off, I shoved it into my backpack before I slung the bag onto my shoulders.

"Don't worry." I mentioned as I followed Russia's lead. "I've got a feeling that we won't be stuck with _only_ him for long." I attempted to place some reassurance in my voice as I passed by Britain, but I wondered if I just came out hopeful from the way Britain muttered, "I'm not sure which would be worse."

 _A girl can try._

Deciding that Britain would be too busy fuming over his unfortunate odds of ending up with Russia to hold a decent conversation with me, I decided to test my own fortune and walk ahead.

 _Hope this doesn't end with me dead_. I stared up with some hesitance at the tall nation a few steps ahead of me, who hummed to himself as he walked through the thick forest area with ease.

"Hey, Russia." I spoke quietly, with a meekness I wasn't used to hearing from myself around most people.

"What is it, small girl?" Russia questioned, still trudging forward and stomping all over the vegetation in his way without mercy.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry." I heard the crunch of Russia's steps come less frequently after my words. "About your scarf. I know it means a lot to you." I concluded with my voice sounding like a whisper compared to the forest sounds around me. Yet, I knew Russia heard me as he stilled for a brief moment and his smile diminished before he resumed his typical pace.

"Why do you apologize? It is not you who did this to the scarf, da?" Russia replied with a cheer that sounded more off key than usual.

"I know, but it's still not fair that something important to you was so damaged." I thought I saw Russia's hand briefly brush against the mangled end of his scarf. "Since the ocean won't be saying sorry anytime soon, I decided I would in its place." I ended, feeling like a total idiot.

 _He's unpredictable, and I have no idea how he's going to react._

"You are not like the land you come from." Russia had slowed enough that I was nearly walking beside him.

"I think I like that about you." Russia admitted cryptically, causing me to frown from confusion. However, like he could sense my forming questions, he returned to his fast pace and hurried ahead of me.

"Are we close to finding someone?" Britain voice rang from right behind me, which startled me somewhat since he had previously been keeping his distance in the back.

"We are not close, we have found someone." Russia announced, causing my eyes to widen.

 _Well, what do you know?_ Strangely enough, while I couldn't check my phone to be sure, I started to make out some noise that greatly resembled distant voices after traveling for what felt like only ten minutes.

"That voice..." I heard Britain mumble to himself as we all noticed the clearing up ahead, and heard a strong, recognizable voice grumbling to himself.

 _Wait, am I about to meet-_

"Germany!" Britain cried in outrage, glaring at the nation standing alone in the clearing.

"What?!" Germany had brief shock display on his face before it became neutral once more.

"Of course, now I must deal with you too." Germany sound more irritated than worried, and looked pretty calm as Britain ran up to him and started to punch him in his side.

 _Okkkay then._ I watched as Britain punched Germany over and over, without effectively hurting him, but I remained standing in the thicker forest area where he probably had yet to see me.

"Russia, shouldn't we-" I cut myself off when I noticed Russia had joined Britain in harassing Germany by poking him in his side repeatedly.

 _...Where did that little thing call sanity go? Must of got left behind on the other island._ I answered myself in my head before precariously waking into the clearing, as I prepared to attempt _(emphasize on try)_ to remind the two nations of the importance of finding our other missing Allies.

"Wow! Look, big brother France! My dream did come true!" I only had a moment to grasp how I definitely had heard that soft Italian accent before when a body softly crashed into mines.

 _Stop! Don't attack!_ I barely stopped myself from punching my possible assaulter, and instead, remained limp while arms embraced me and a head nuzzled my side.

"It is a girl! Not as many as I wanted, but at least I got one pretty ragazza!" Italy cheered as he continued to cuddle me, and I stiffly allowed the affection.

"Um, ciao, Italy." Realizing this was my first time meeting Italy _(officially anyway)_ , I attempted to make a formal introduction. Though I doubted he heard me over his own mouth that was going on about how I was so beautiful, I smelled nice, and my body was as soft as an Italian lasagna noodle _(whatever that means)_.

"May?! You are alright?" France's voice caused me to look up sharply, and I suddenly remembered that he had ended up meeting Italy earlier on the island.

Ignoring the affectionate nation latched to me, and the awkwardness of noticing how he was only wearing an open shirt so some of his bare chest touched me, I gave France a smile while I replied, "Yeah, I think I got off a lot better than most of you guys."

France looked genuinely relieved as he started to say, "That is-"

"Who is this woman?!" Germany's voice cut in, slicing sharply through the air and causing Italy to halt in his constant rubbing against me.

 _That's more than a tad unnerving._ Maybe it was the years of watching too many films where a heavy German accent meant nothing good for someone of my nationality, or the fact that I was thrown in a time period where I heard little good about Germans in general, but I felt an internal shudder go through me.

With world seemingly gone silent, the background fading from my notice, and the spotlight on only me and the new nation, I managed to weakly state, "Hallo, Germany. My name is May. Nice to meet you." I managed to speak calmly, with little emotion, and I even forced a friendly smile on my face. Germany appeared to be mildly surprised by my greeting, for reasons I wasn't certain of, but then he schooled his face into reluctant curiosity.

"Hallo." Germany spoke simply, still ignoring the nations "attacking" him as his nature encourage him to be polite even to a possible new threat.

 _What now?_ I wasn't sure I could speak as I took in German's somewhat intimidating appearance and the harsh edge his voice held due to his prevalent accent. It didn't help how he held my gaze evenly, seemingly scrutinizing my inner thoughts, and I couldn't look away from his frigid, but not threatening, blue eyes.

"Germany, are you okay?!" Italy sounded frantic when he noticed the apparently desperate situation Germany was in. His high pitched voice was enough to snap me out of our staring contest, and I felt Italy abandon his cuddle fest with me before he started to frantically wave his hands and shout, "Don't hit Germany!" However, everyone ignored his pleas, including Germany, who had his sole attention fixed on me.

"You are no nation, so why are you-"

"Ah!" Japan gave a startled cry as he entered the clearing, and he also seemed flustered when he took in the "attack" happening on Germany.

 _Um, let's get this nation party started?_

"Aiya!" China announced his presence by popping out of some bushes, and shocked me enough to cause me to jump back.

 _If China's here, shouldn't-_

"MAYYYY!" A familiar voice practically shook the earth with its volume and I barely caught sight of a blue blur before I heard Italy scream, and flee behind Germany, while strong arms enveloped me.

 _Holy- don't attack!_ I wasn't sure if it was necessary to hold myself back from lashing out once I recognized there was no way I could physically land a mark on the nation practically squeezing the life out of me with his bear hug. Considering my feet were no longer touching the ground, I wondered if maybe lashing out would have been a good idea.

"YOU'RE OKAY! I KNEW THERE WAS NO WAY THE HERO FAILED HIS CITIZEN!" America's voice was on full blown hero mode and my poor ears were ringing like gongs that just got struck.

"I think a hero choking the life out of his citizen is considered an epic fail!" I wheezed out as fast as I could, feeling my oxygen dwindling to empty.

"Huh?" America questioned me until he noted the fact my face was turning somewhat red due to the strain of not breathing forcing me to exert my lungs to find air.

"Oh! Sorry, dude!" America released me, more gentle than usual in his movements, which was great since I saw black dots in my vision as my feet hit the ground and only America's hands on my shoulders prevented me from falling over while I grew dizzy.

"We really got to work on that strength control, America." I sounded breathy while I gulped up more air and tried to get my joking nature across.

"Control? Why would I need that?" America sounded uncertain as he asked me the question.

"Oh, America." I sighed in exasperation while I slapped my hand against my forehead.

"It seems we are all stranded here." Germany pointed out, drawing away all the eyes that had been on me and America while we had a little reunion.

"So we can end this war by crushing the Axis now, da?" Russia was not hiding the eagerness in his voice as everyone subconsciously grew closer to nations in their group. Quickly, the Axis were on one side and the Allies were gathered on the other.

"We will not be crushed by you!" Germany announced in an outrage as his stance became more battle ready, and Italy hid behind him.

"I don't think any fighting is necessary." Japan tried to cut in, though one of his hands strayed to the handle of his katana in preparation of a possible fight.

"You guys are going dow-" Whatever brash and bold words America prepared to shout were interrupted by a burst of static that flooded the air. Looking around, I recognized befuddlement on near everyone's face as we glanced around each other in unified confusion.

"Yes, you are speaking to him." China spoke into an old fashioned walkie-talkie and gained everyone's attention.

"I will let them know." China finished speaking to the person on the other end and then looked over at Germany while saying, "It seems your people have found this island and are ready to pick you up."

"They are sooner than I expected." Germany grunted out, but seemed pleased by the news.

"Um, what is going on?" I asked China, feeling like I wasn't the only one with questions.

"YOU HAD THAT ON YOU THE WHOLE TIME?!" America questioned very loudly due to his shock over the scene we observed.

"No, I did not." China responded calmly.

"I think someone has the explaining to do." Russia stated, a threatening pipe finding its way into his hands. China however, looked more miffed than anything as he replied, "I found my Chinatown on this island, while we were wandering, and they had this device in their gift shop." I knew I wasn't the only one who sweat dropped at China's explanation.

"But dude! I was with you the whole time, and I don't remember seeing any Chinatown!" America protested.

China tsked a little as he said, "I explored more of the island after you passed out from some food coma. Apparently you ate too much spam and sugar."

 _Yup, face palm time!_ I shook my head a little, as I thought of how sad it was that I could easily imagine my nation overindulging in candy and passing out from it. America had the decency to look mildly embarrassed over China's words.

"During that time, the Axis wandered over to my town and I allowed them to make a call at cheap price." China concluded with his arms crossed and a satisfied expression.

"Cheap?! That was not cheap!" Germany shouted in defiance, ignoring Japan's attempt to calm him down.

"If you did not want it, then you should not have bought it!" China shouted back.

"You gave the enemy a means to escape?!" Britain interrupted, giving way to his own anger and turning on China.

"There are no enemies in business deals!" China defended himself with a huff.

"Even worse, he did not tell his own allies about this!" France shouted while looking at himself in a chipped hand mirror. "Now my hair will have to go longer without proper care!"

"Not cool, dude!" America joined in on turning on China, with his heroic persona of justice fully turned on.

"Stupid young nations!" China yelled with an anime tick mark on his forehead. "I called our ships to come too! They are on their way!" China was exasperated and angered as he got everyone to shut up.

 _For second there, it was like I was surrounded by four Edward Eric's that had been called "short"._ I had backed up behind America as the nations argued, not wanting to be caught in the middle of a fight even if I knew I could give someone a black eye before going down.

"Oh! Dude, why didn't you say so?" America reverted back to his pleasant nature after looking sheepish for a moment.

"Wise man says, 'A fool deserves no answer'." China shrugged off America's words with irritation still written on his face.

"Um, guys?" I drew everyone's attention as I looked around in confusion. "Is it just me, or are we missing a certain trio?"

"Bloody- where did they go?!" Britain reacted quickly, glancing around once he noted the Axis had ran off sometime earlier.

"If they are still here, then they should be near the beach." China thought out loud with a thoughtful expression. "That is where all the boats are supposed to meet."

"Seriously?! Then what are we waiting for?! Let's catch them!" America announced as he ran off towards the forest.

"...He knows that the beach is in the opposite direction, right?" I asked no one in particular.

"I have noted that for a young nation, he has bad hearing." Russia's input startled me into turning around to face him, though I noticed he thankfully had no pipe in his hand.

"If we're lucky, he won't come back." Britain muttered.

"I can't stand being in these clothes any longer!" France shouted, failing at his attempt to straighten his rumpled clothes.

"Then I guess we can wait by the beach for our own rides." China suggested as he started to head in the opposite direction America had ran towards.

 _I think we all know that the Axis are long gone anyway._ I shrugged to myself, and decided to join the Allies as we headed to the shore that was hopefully filled with some sort of naval vessel.

* * *

"Don't you know it's improper for a gentlemen to look like this for too long!" Britain shouted at France while they stood in front of an open door.

"You look no worse than usual!" France insulted Britain. "And my gorgeous body needs the shower more than your pathetic one!"

I ignored the two as I headed over to the staircase and ran up them until I had reached the top of the ship.

"Get out of my room!" I heard China shout from somewhere further below.

"To be one with me, we must get used to living near each other." I heard Russia's faint voice reply just before an angered, frustrated noise came from who I assumed was China. Spotting America, who was next to the front of the boat, I walked over to him and ignored the stares from the other American soldiers hanging around. Considering how I still had no cap to cover up my wild hair and I was wearing the same clothes from before, I knew they were either curious or disturbed by my appearance.

"Hey, there!" I greeted America. Quickly he turned around, and straightened up since he had been leaning over the railing, to give me a smile.

"What's up, dude?" America asked me once I had situated myself beside him.

"Nothing really. I just wanted to get out and make sure we weren't going to be shipwrecked... Again."

"Not likely! My navy knows what they're doing!" America proudly boasted.

 _They better._ Thankfully, an American ship had been nearby, and had picked up all of us from the beach to take us back to the original island where America's plane waited for us.

 _Come to think of it, I wonder how far we shipwrecked from Australia_. I started to ponder on what I knew about the anime's version over this story and compared it to the present situation.

 _Wait a second... Wasn't Seychelles the land they had ended up in?_ America didn't notice how I froze as the thought occurred to me.

 _I know I suck as geography, but I could of sworn Seychelles was closer to Africa than Australia._ With a strange, heavy weight in my gut, I turned towards America.

"Hey, were not that far from that _Australian_ island your plane's on, right?" I asked America with slight timidity.

"Eager to go home? Don't worry, the island we were on is like ten minutes away." America remained oblivious to the fact that I was far from excited.

 _There's no way we landed on an island near Seychelles if we're already that close to the original island in Australia... b-but that is what happened in the anime!_ The dreadful weight spread to the rest of my body.

 _Maybe I'm just wrong and suck at geography!_ I tried to reassure myself.

 _Anyway, as long as nothing else has changed from the original Hetalia timeline, we should be fine!_ My eyes latched on to the clear blue skies while a warm breeze tugged my hair back, and I felt my heart plummet a little more. The lack of cold temperatures brought me more of a warning than comfort.

 _It's May. Christmas doesn't happen in May._ It was as I was recounting everything that happened in the anime that I realized something vitally important had gone unnoticed by myself.

"America?" I asked again, on the edge of panicking.

"Yeah, dude?" America seemed confused by my sudden talkative nature.

"This is going to sound crazy," I warned him, "but did you happen to see something weird like a sleigh flying through the sky on one of the nights you guys confronted the Axis?"

The look America gave me was probably one most would give to a person who claimed they loved whales and was going to become one with the whales by growing fins.

"Um, are you feeling alright?" America had a combination of "you're freaking me out" and "I'm worried, are you okay?" expression on his face.

 _I'll take that as I no._ America had no reason to lie, and it was nowhere near December regardless.

"Um, I'm fine." I stated in a slight rush while turning away.

"Are you sure? Didn't you hit your head a little when the ship went down?" America was bluntly concerned when he placed a gentle hand on the top of my head, as if searching for a wound.

"Yeah, but it was nothing serious." I managed to duck from America's hand and back off further.

"But just in case, maybe I should get some sleep." I tossed back as casually as I could while half running back down the stairs before America could corner me.

 _There's no way something didn't happen here when it did happen in the anime!_ I couldn't even hear the sounds around me as I hurried to the ship bedroom I had claimed as my own.

 _Everything else seemed to click! What is so different now?_ I sat down on the bed as my breathing increased.

 _Maybe it's not just me being surrounded by mysteries . Maybe this Hetalia world has some strange stuff going on too._ Something was wrong, and I knew that for certain. Yet with all the questions surrounding myself, I had selfishly not even considered thinking about any strange occurrences happening to the Hetalia world.

 _Are they connected?_ My mere existence could have been affecting the world, setting it on a rapidly different course, but I hoped that idea was just my panicking mind and not a premonition.

 _There's too many questions!_ I punched the pillow on my bed to release some stress. Like when I first arrived, I felt somewhat overwhelmed and frustrated by the lack of knowledge I had.

 _I'm not sure what is going, but I need a plan._ I calmed down as I brainstormed an idea or goal, which could solve all my problems.

 _I'll fix this_. Whether it the mysteries around my world, this Hetalia world, or myself, I knew I had to learn to the truth. Making a vow to myself, I promised to start searching all I could into my transportation into the Hetalia world, and find a solution to every anomaly that followed me here.

 _Britain couldn't find an answer, how will you?_ The voice in my head was reasonable, but I ignored it as laid back on the bed.

 _Something or somebody knows what's going on._ My mind retorted. I had a feeling whatever caused me to enter Hetalia was no accident, and the only problem was locating whatever had done this to me and getting the answers.

 _"One at a time. You can't do everything at once, scout."_ My father's voice comforted me as I closed my eyes and fell deeper in thought.

 _It will all be fixed in a matter of time._ I let out a weary, frustrated moan and lifted my arm to hit the pillow again before I managed to fight off the urge. I knew I tended be impatient when it came to mysteries, but this situation was different.

For in this case, patience was my only option.

* * *

" **Friends** are thieves of time." ~Francis Bacon

* * *

 **Review anyone?**

 **It's my longest chapter yet after all! I hope you guys enjoyed this stranded segment because it's over! Next time, you'll be seeing a certain nation most have probably forgotten about.**

 **Also, don't worry about the unsolved mysteries so far because all will be revealed in due time!**

 **Bye now!**


	13. Chapter 13: Interlude

**Hello everyone! Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you enjoy this chapter because it sure was a joy to write!**

 **Disclaimer** **: ...What are you looking for? We already went through this; I don't have to explain how I don't own Hetalia anymore... I just did it again, didn't I?**

* * *

 **Shelve** (also known as Postpone): To stop thinking about something for a period of **Time**

* * *

 _July 1942_

"Doesn't everyone want to be one with me?"

"Remove your hands from there, filthy-!

"But it's terribly cold in here! Surely it would be better to keep ourselves warm with _intimate_ body heat."

"I'd rather freeze, you wine-loving fool!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"I was better off at home! At least the Axis are not so bothersome." Somehow, I managed to hear China's grumble over all the chaos and my own fuming thoughts.

 _Just remember, May, there's no need for violence. You can't kill immortals that easily anyway._ I dodged a thrown suitcase as Britain and France's fight turned physical, they're shouts crescendoed, and my anger heightened.

 _...But you never know unless you try._ The devilish voice in my head conceded.

 _I should of stayed home this time, but no, I just had to come with America!_ Currently, all the Allies were on board America's plane as we headed back to North America. Originally, I and America had taken the plane to China, which I had been excited for since I always wanted to go to Asia, but China had alerted us that the area the meeting was supposed to be at was no longer safe. Somehow the location had gotten to close to battles against Japanese soldiers, and he did not want to risk having a meeting there. Since we were close by China when we received the message, we decided to pick him up and head to the new meeting location in France. Unfortunately, we noticed there were too many German patrols in that particular location to safely land, therefore, we decided not to have the meeting there either. However, Britain, Russia, and France were already there, so we had to pick them up since they're rides were already long gone.

 _Ugh, if only I had been faster._ I eyed the seat China had upfront with a serious case of envy. The only reason I wasn't in my usual spot beside America was because China had taken the seat after getting fed up with Russia's attempts to make him become one with him. After that incident, we had all given Russia a wide berth in the back seats, and left him alone with our luggage as company, but that resulted in more chaos when Britain and France had been forced near each other due to the limited seating area upfront.

A chaos which was still ongoing.

 _What can I expect? Hetalia is Hetalia, and it ain't changing anytime soon._ I blew out an irritated puff of air and noted how America's laugh had somehow gotten more annoying than usual, probably since he was the only one enjoying the insanity on the plane.

"I've had enough!" The shout interrupted my inner rant. "Bugger off and do not follow me!" Britain yelled with a no nonsense tone to France. Next thing I was aware of, I had a steaming Britain grumbling in the seat beside me.

"Bad day? I feel you there." I spoke up through grinding teeth as I crossed my arms and leaned back into my seat.

"You make it a habit to say severe understatements." Britain growled out, not even bothering to look anywhere except the chair in front of him. He appeared to be attempting to set it on fire through sheer will power and constant glaring.

"But Monsieur, don't you need more experience in the art of love?" I heard France call out to Britain from behind our seats. Then one of his snaking hands roamed the top of our chairs, and I therefore felt an irritated tick mark appear on my forehead before I rammed my head back on a groping hand, which I deemed to close to me.

 _Frigging, French fry!_ I heard France give a cry of pain, and a complaint about manicured nails, as he withdrew and grew quiet.

Now boiling irritated though, I grimly muttered, "I'm going to pull an Anakin and Sith Lord the heck out of everyone in this plane if they don't shut up soon." The ever too present ruckus around us didn't dim in the least, and I saw Britain's scowl become more prominent.

"Hahahaha! Dude, we should totally make the plane do a back flip!"

"Watch where you're going, stupid American!"

"What about you, France? We can become one, da?"

"NOOONNN!"

With a tone of determination, Britain responded,"I'm uncertain what you mean, but it sounds deadly." A dark, malicious look flashed across Britain's face. "Therefore, I would join you."

After that agreement, I remained silent, Britain didn't speak, and our combined fuming made so much heat that the summer sun would have been jealous.

* * *

When I stormed out of the plane in a raging flurry, I resisted the temptation to raise my head and shout, "Don't worry, Hetalia world, you didn't break me!" Instead, I opted to take in my new surroundings and ignore the grumbling nations behind me.

 _It's...beautiful_. I felt my anger gradually ebb away as I was completely taken aback by the nature around me. Since it had taken forever to fly all the way from North America to Asia, then to Europe, and then back to North America, it was now early morning of the next day.

"Do we have to attend the meeting? My hair needs to be redone!" France complained, practically shuffling out of the plane like he was walking to his death.

"Shut up! I hardly got a wink thanks to all your hollering about beauty sleep!" Britain looked more irritated than usual, and his hair appeared unkempt while he stomped outside.

"I got no rest as well." China muttered, shooting a glare at the last nation exiting the plane. I also shot a dark look towards my nation since he had been particularly irksome the entire trip, and as quiet as a bass drum when I had attempted to rest up.

"Dudes, let's get this meeting started!" America cheered, with a large mug in his hand that had somehow been refilled with coffee _(He didn't offer me any!)_. The aroma of his drink being the only thing to distract me from the land's light green grass and blossoming flowers, which glowed in the rays of the morning sun.

 _It's official. Canada, the land and person, is drop dead gorgeous_. Instead of heading back to the U.S. for a meeting, the other Allies had complained about America leading too many assemblies until they cajoled him into reluctantly agreeing to hold the meeting elsewhere. To my surprise, America suggested Canada as the location, and after informing the majority of who that was _(poor guy)_ , they had accepted the new meeting location.

"Come on, I think the building is that one!" America struck a pose and pointed to a small, red brick building that existed beyond the thin forest America had somehow landed the plane in. However, it was shocking to note how the structure resembled an abandoned house compared to the larger, extravagant buildings I was used to attending an Allies meeting in.

 _It's probably because Canada doesn't get involved with the meetings as much as the others_.

"You're uncertain?! Now we'll definitely get lost!" Britain grumbled darkly while begrudgingly following America's lead towards the building. The other nations weren't as vocal about their unpleasant moods, and I doubted America had such a bad mood, so the short walk was one done in silence.

 _I just want to pull out my phone,_ _take hundreds of pics, and ogle them later! ...But wouldn't that technically mean I would be ogling Canada like a stalker? ...On second thought._ My hand stopped twitching towards my blue jeans pocket and I stopped examining the scenery.

 _Speaking about Canada though, shouldn't we let him know we're here?_ It was then that I looked up and noticed how we had reached the entrance to the snug building, which wasn't tall enough to have more than two floors. However, right after America ushered everyone towards the door, he froze. Therefore, for a moment, no one did anything except look at America in expectancy.

"Whatever are you waiting for?!" Britain was the first to lose his patience and question America.

"Uh, dudes," America began, sounding strangely mild mannered, "Does anyone have the keys to this place?"

 _Really? Really, bro?!_ Within the next second, the entire group of nations was hollering and making a commotion filled with insults and jabs towards each other.

"How could you forget the door would be locked, nitwit?!"

"Maybe I can use my pipe to pry open door?"

"No! Chinese way would be better!"

"I should have stayed on the plane!"

"Calm down, dudes!" America shouted over everyone, causing the nations to quiet down.

"All I have to do is get the keys from my bro, Canada, and everything will be fine!" America announced, and I could of sworn there were suddenly golden letters spelling out "it's easy!" above his head before they quickly dispersed.

 _Sometimes I wonder if sanity really exists in this world._

"And what exactly do you expect us to do while you'r-" As Britain was bringing up a legitimate point, America turned his back to us and sped off like a bullet train.

"I'll be back in no time!" America's cry of reassurance echoed out as he left the Allies group in the dust.

"That utter buffoon!" Britain screeched out, while grabbing his hair as if preparing to pull it out from frustration.

"Who is this Canada nation?" Russia questioned himself with slight confusion reflecting in his eyes.

"I will not stay here and do nothing!" China announced in annoyance, before suddenly titling to the side and lifting his leg to aim it at the door. "I'll open it with perfect Chinese method!" Nobody tried to intervene as China's leg pulled back to gain momentum.

"Wait!" I yelled, while desperately waving my hands around. Hence, all the nations turned to me in various degrees of surprise, though China's position made him appear the most ridiculous since his leg was in the air and a near disappointed pouty look was gracing his face.

 _Aw, he's as cute as a button- stop!_

"Um," I started sheepishly while rubbing the back of my neck. "It just occurred to me that no one even tried to open the door before assuming it was locked." For once, it wasn't me who sweat dropped, but all the nations, excluding Russia, did.

"You are correct, but what are the chances-" Britain cut himself short when China lowered his leg and turned the doorknob with ease. Then the door practically swung open, and all of us gathered around it in awe.

"Anybody want to catch up with America and tell him about this?" I asked quietly, while China strode into the darkened hallway.

"He is the one who misled us, so we might as well allow him to get his exercise." Britain surmised, still in a rotten mood.

"We all know that he needs it with all that garbage he stuffs his face in." France haughtily mentioned, while gracefully entering the house. I entered last, and was momentarily blinded when someone flicked on the lights.

 _Kind of dusty in here._ I felt my nose twitch as if to sneeze, but the feeling went away while I followed the other nations into a side room.

"I'm supposed to conduct a meeting in here?" Britain's voice was full of ire as he examined the room with a critical eye.

 _This building does look pretty old._ I observed the near ancient decorum in the room, the chairs and large table appearing outdated even for the 1940's.

"What do you mean _you_? It will be moi conducting the meeting!" France's announcement caught my attention as I felt a plausible pressure fill the air.

 _But doesn't the leader of the meeting depend on the location? We're in Canada, so shouldn't he be leading us?_

"You? A wine loving swine like yourself is hardly fit to participate in a strategy meeting!" Britain scoffed with an air of superiority, which caused France to scowl.

 _Unless they've already forgotten what land we're in?_ I fell deeper in my thoughts while the argument grew more heated.

"Rather a wine lover than a forgetful old man!" France shouted back with a smirk. "If you weren't so old then maybe you would remember how I was originally supposed to lead the meeting in my land." France concluded, content with his solid reasoning.

 _There's no way they've completely forgotten this quick!_

"If we use that logic, then it would be me first since I was suppose to lead before France." China ruined France's moment with his own prideful boast.

 _...They've completely forgotten that we're in Canada...within two minutes; I'm sure that's a new record_. I felt like shaking my head in shame for Canada's sake, while the nations continued to have an argument among themselves.

"What about me? I never get to lead any meetings." Russia added his two cents, causing me to shudder as his creepy aurora increased the tension in the room.

 _We're all Allies here, right? ...That name is a bit of an overstatement_.

"W-We already went over that." France was the only one bold enough to give a reply, though his voice shook slightly.

"Yes," Britain cleared his throat like it was a nervous habit before continuing, "We all agreed that you do the most work out of us all, and as your true allies, it wouldn't be fair to allow you to take on so much work in the war, and think up our strategies too." Britain's tone was abnormally calm, as if he were trying to pacify a small child preparing to throw a tantrum.

 _Wow, that excuse is more rehearsed than a Shakespeare play._

"That is the sweet of you, Britain." Since Russia often kept the same happy expression on his face, I couldn't tell if he honestly believed Britain when he placed what appeared to be a friendly hand on Britain's shoulder. However, the way Britain flinched at the contact was pretty revealing of what he thought of Russia's response.

"Back to the point," I got the group's attention. "Besides Russia, I think the leader-" A large knocking sound rocked the house before stomping footsteps rushed into the room.

"Did someone call for a dashing heroic leader? Because he has arrived!" America had struck a pose by standing up tall and practically filling the whole doorway with his presence.

"Sure we called, but it seems like we only got cheap American off-brand." China quietly deadpanned in exasperation, causing me to stifle a laugh.

"Just when I thought he got lost in the forest." Britain muttered in irritation and frank disappointment.

"You dudes ready to start the meeting?! 'Cause I've got so many awesome battle plans to show you!"

"Who said you were leading, stupid-"

 _Has America forgotten too? He brought Canada here and... Where's Canada?_ It was then that I noticed the shy nation was nowhere to be seen as America stepped into the room. I turned to question America, but I observed how he was now engaged in laughing off the protests of the other countries. With a shrug and curiosity distracting me, I exited the room and returned to the hallway.

Glancing around the empty hall, I almost concluded that America had forgotten where his own brother lived and hadn't retrieved him, but I soon noticed that the door was slightly ajar.

"Canada?" I pulled open the door, and to my surprise, I nearly had over six feet of nation smack into me.

"Whoa there!" I reached up to grasp Canada's shoulder and steady him before he turned me into one of his famous pancakes.

"I-is that you, May?" A small, soft voice inquired, and glassy violet eyes stared down at me.

"We really got to stop crashing into each other like this. Literally." I joked, while giving Canada a grand smile.

"I'm sorry, I didn't-" Before I could even interrupt Canada's unnecessary apology, he turned to the crook of his arm and I heard what sounded like muffled coughing.

"Hey, are you alright?" I didn't hide the concern in my voice as I examined Canada from head to toe. I stepped forward to get a closer look and closed the door behind me so I wouldn't interrupt the argument most likely happening inside the house.

"I'm okay." Canada's voice was even softer than usual, and I had to really pay attention to make out his words.

"Are you sure? You sound a little stuffed up." I implored.

"Eh? No, I'm not doing too bad." Canada tried to wave off my worry. "Besides, we should..." Canada trailed off and turned from me to cough into the crook of his arm again.

"If you were going to say let's just head into the meeting, I hate to break it to you, but they've already started, and seem to have forgotten that you're supposed to be leading them." I tried to be gentle with my words.

"I know; that's why I never lead the meetings." Canada sighed. "America didn't even hear me when I tried to tell him the door to this place was always open, and once we got here, he rushed in and left me outside." Canada frowned a little and I felt pity build up in my chest.

"And he didn't hear you when you tried to tell him you didn't feel well and preferred not to attend the meeting." I added slyly, taking advantage of Canada's oncoming complaint session in order to hear the truth.

"Exactly, eh! He can't really hear over his own voice-" Canada stopped himself, and looked up to stare at my expression of satisfaction.

 _Got you now._

"Well, then. As your fellow forgotten one, I think it's time to play hooky." I weaved my arm through Canada's with a mischievous smile.

"W-What are you saying?" Canada was staring at me in astonishment.

"I'm saying that there's no reason we have to stay here." With a shrug, I explained, "America and the others probably won't even know we're gone, so we might as well get you home and get you better."

"But-"

"Not to ignore you, Canada, but it seems that you're under the influence of a cold and not thinking clearly." Taking on a fake, but decent imitation of a professional doctor, I stated," As your doctor, I order you to spend at least one day of relaxation in the comfort of your own home. Now do me a favor, and show the good doctor the way to your home so I can start treatment immediately."

"..." Canada gaped at me for a few seconds, before he glanced down at our intertwined arms, and he eventually looked up to send me an appreciative grin.

"...If the doctor really insists." Canada's voice definitely held a tone of warm humor as he spared only a quick, nervous glance towards the building before moving away from it. With my arm still locked with his, I smiled and didn't hesitate to walk at his side.

* * *

"I love it!" I somewhat squealed in delight as I took in the nicely furnished living room. I couldn't clearly recall a time where the anime revealed more than perhaps a bedroom in Canada's house, but the sight I held was better than I could of imagined.

"Thank you, but I don't think it's that great." Canada told me, in a humble confusion over my amazement of his house.

 _It's so homey!_ I took care with every step I took because I didn't want to tarnish an inch of the shiny, dark wooden floor. Even the carpet full of abstract designs looked too expensive for my boots to make contact with it. Also, the sandy colored furniture caught my eye because it appeared to be as old as some of America's furniture.

"This place is so awesome!" I told Canada while he lead me deeper into the house. Unlike with America and Britain, Canada's home didn't seem to be a mini-mansion, but was more of a very large and grand house.

"You really like this old place?" Canada was still unable to understand my adoration as he led me to a staircase, and we walked up to the second floor.

"Yeah, it's as kawaii as a chibi!" I explained, soaking up the decorum of every open room we passed by.

"...I'm not sure what those words mean, but I appreciate- Achoo!" Canada suddenly sneezed into his sleeve before lightly coughing.

 _Oh yeah._ Suddenly remembering why I was in Canada's house in the first place, I frowned a little as I noted the unusual green tinge on Canada's face.

"I guess this is more of a sick day than hooky for you, huh?" I gave Canada a reassuring pat on the back, and he briefly tensed at the unexpected touch before I removed my hand and he went on like nothing had occurred.

"It's nice of you to care, May, but I'm really doing fine." Canada gave me a weak smile, but I simply sent him a raised eyebrow as he opened the door to one of the bedrooms.

"This isn't my main bedroom, but you can stay here until the meeting ends." Canada offered while rubbing the back of the head, and then stopping the motion as his eyes widened. "Unless you don't want to! You don't have to stay if-"

"Canada, you don't really think I only left the meeting to escape boredom, do you?" I fixed Canada with a stern look in my eyes, halting his frantic movements. "I came here because you're sick, and I'm not leaving until you're better!" I declared in a passionate tone, reminding myself of my country when he was hero mode.

 _Lord, he really is rubbing off on me_. I think Canada shared the same thought since he stared at me with an astonished look that soon dissolved into slight exasperation.

"If that's what you want." Canada's reply was weak, but he didn't protest while I followed him to his bedroom. Walking in, I was a little unnerved by the amount of pillows that were decorated with maple leafs and the red plus white colored furniture, but it occurred to me that perhaps all nations' overloaded their main bedroom with patriotic symbols and colors.

"I think I am a little tired." Canada's wilting energy suggested he was more than a bit exhausted as he got situated on his bed.

"You should get some rest, and I'll make you some tea while you lay down." I spoke casually while I spun on my heel and prepared to exit the room. Yet I only got a few steps away before I nearly ran over a large, white lump.

"Hm?" I looked down with a curious expression, but I was quickly ashamed to admit that I jumped back when two dark eyes stared up at me.

 _OMG! The carpet has eyes!_ I nearly sent my foot flying towards the lump, but Canada interrupted by calling, "Kumijaka? I didn't forgot to feed you, did I?" Canada was completely unperturbed as the small polar bear, hardly bigger than a stuffed animal, walked over to him.

"Why are you back so early?" The bear sat beside Canada's bed, and was entirely placid while Canada reached over and lifted him into his arms.

 _Kawaii!_ I felt the overwhelming urge to snap a billion photos of Canada in such an adorable position, but I beat down the feeling.

"Don't you remember? I told you I wasn't planning on staying at the meeting for long." Canada spoke kindly to the little bear, a rare tenderness in his eyes.

"Oh? You mean when loud man kidnapped you?" Kumajiro's tone was a paradox of innocence and animosity.

 _Loud man? That's one name I haven't heard for America yet._ I stifled my chuckle while I decided to leave the two and grab the tea from downstairs.

With a sigh, I heard Canada reply, "I already told you that loud man is my brother, though I know it can it be hard to tell. Sometimes I'm not too sure either..." The rest of his words pattered out as I reached the first floor.

 _Maybe I should of asked where the tea was first._ I entered the only area with a tile floor on the assumption it was the kitchen, and I was grateful to find a spotless stove and clean pots in the cabinets above. Conveniently, I found a kettle on the stove already filled with semi-hot water, and I easily spotted some tea packets and a clean mug on the counter.

 _Then again, if Canada's been sick for a few days he's already been making tea for himself._ I picked up a green tea packet and grabbed a spoon to stir it. However, the one ingredient I couldn't find was the sugar.

 _Where is it?_ I glanced around until I spotted a large bottle of maple syrup. Staring briefly at the syrup with an unusual intensity, I shook my head at the ridiculous notion and turned away.

 _But Canada does like his maple syrup._ I spared another glance towards the enticing bottle.

 _And my mother always said a spoonful of honey was great for soothing a sore throat._ My hand was already opening the cap of the bottle and I poured before I could regret the decision. However, I dipped the bottle too far and a lot more than one spoonful of syrup fell into the cup.

 _...If I stir really fast, he won't notice two thirds of the cup is more syrup than tea?_ I stirred with all my might, placed the bottle in the same place I found it, and stared at the concoction.

 _I regret nothing!_ Rushing upstairs, I rapidly headed to the open bedroom. I hurried to rid myself of the horrible attempt at green tea, and therefore lacked my usual grace.

"I'm back-" For the umpteenth time, I collided into a solid body, but this time I wasn't the only thing to crash into a startled Canada. Half the tea-syrup flew forward and splashed onto his clothes.

"Crap!" I shouted. Canada was fortunately not screaming in pain from the water's temperature _(maybe it's lukewarm now?),_ but his shirt now sported a dark stain on it.

"Are you okay?! I thought you might of got lost and I was coming down-"

"Please!" I interrupted Canada's rapid apology. "I spilled tea all over you, and that's my fault, not yours." I felt more flustered than Canada appeared, but I tried to maintain a calm countenance and correct the situation.

 _Aikido training and dance experience, but I'm still a klutz!_ I chided myself in my head.

"Um, take that shirt off!" Canada was flabbergasted by my immediate demand, but I continued, "I can get a towel and try to dry it." With understanding in his eyes, Canada quickly started to unbutton his shirt while I entered his bedroom's bathroom in order to retrieve a towel.

"We can get you a new shirt, but I don't want that stain to become permanent so I'll dry it off." Returning, I looked up from the towel in my hand and halted.

 _...!_ Even my mind remained blank as I took in the bare chest revealed from the unbuttoned section of Canada's shirt. Barely halting my awkward ogling of Canada's chest, I forced my eyes up to meet the flushed, red appearance of Canada's face.

 _...He noticed, didn't he?_ Canada and I quickly avoided eye contact, and the awkward moment created a tension in the air. Soon deciding that I needed to get a grip, I opened my mouth to speak and clear the tension with a hasty apology, but an unexpected blur entered my peripheral vision from the doorway.

"AH!" A sharp, near girly, gasp sliced through the silence as a jaw slacked America soaked in the scene before him.

I didn't require verbal confirmation to figure out what route his mind took as his expression of shock faded into horror, and his eyes darted from Canada's partially undressed appearance to my slightly pink cheeks, which had come about from my embarrassing reaction to Canada's appearance.

"..." It was unnerving how the typically loud nation seemed to try and get words out, but he ended up making no sounds, and just continued to stare at us like a gasping fish.

"I-I didn't hear you come in, America." I stated as calmly as I could, helping to unfreeze the two nations from their paralyzed positions.

"..." America gave me a long stare, with an intensity in his eyes that almost made me want to look away until a quick shift went across his face and he appeared to be seriously contemplating something for just a second. "I was listening to some boring speech China was making, 'cause the other dudes wanted him to lead for some lame reason, but then I noticed you were gone!" Honest worry was in America's tone while he walked over to me, and strode past Canada without noticing him.

"I thought you got captured by an evil villain, and I decided to run out and search for you! Then I saw footprints, so I followed them here!" America had puffed out his chest and I swore the American flag briefly flashed behind him before fading out.

 _Footprints? Neither I or Canada stepped in mud._ I looked down and noticed America's own boots were covered in mud.

 _...He followed his own footprints back to Canada's house, thinking they were mines... My hero?_

"But you don't look hurt." America recaptured my attention when he poked me in a couple of random spots, as if that would help him accurately asses my health.

"Well I wasn't kidnapped. I actually just ditched the meeting and came here... I didn't think you'd notice." I spoke the last part timidly, hoping not to offend America. However, I was a little shocked when arms wrapped around me and pulled me into a light hug.

"Of course I noticed, dude! I can't let something happen to _my_ citizen! You're one of _my_ awesome people after all!" America spoke vehemently, causing me to remain somewhat stiff in his arms at the unexpected display of concern.

 _Then again, he has been just a tad more watchful over me since the island incident_. I had noticed that America seemed to check on me a lot more frequently when I was alone at the house, claiming he had taken an extra break or forgot something there. I also noted that he didn't stray from me as often as he used to on our weekend trips to random places in the U.S, despite his low attention span.

 _Does he feel guilty for the sinking boat thing?_ I had no idea it effected my nation so much, but there was more warmth than confusion in myself while I hugged America back.

"I'm sorry, but Canada didn't seem well and I thought I could help him get better." I tried to push the reasonableness in my tone, as I lightly moved away from America, though I noted it was a bit of a struggle to get him to release me.

"Oh, yeah, Canada bro!" America's eyes lit up while he turned to Canada's spot by his bed, and Canada stared back at him with incredulous eyes since he didn't expect America to acknowledge his presence.

"Where'd you go, dude? I thought you were coming to the meeting with me!"

"But I tried to tell you that I couldn't come, America. I'm a little sick and-"

"You're just tired; nothing to whine about, bro!" America interjected flippantly, slinging an arm around Canada's shoulders and nearly causing him to tumble over.

"Even if it isn't, I think it's best if I stay here." My words grabbed America's attention. "I don't do anything at those meetings anyway, but I can at least help Canada get better here and do something productive." I shrugged my shoulders.

A light frown crossed America's face, and that same thoughtful look briefly filled his expression before he smiled.

"Yeah, I get you, May! Listening to those old dudes can be pretty boring! You can stay here until the meeting ends and then I can just pick you up when it's over!" America seemed cheerful as he moved from Canada and walked over to me.

"I'll be back soon! So make a hero's job easy and don't wander off again, okay?" America gave me a quick one armed hug, which felt slightly stronger than normal, and I thought I saw him glance down at me with a dash of protectiveness _(possessiveness?)_ before he reluctantly let me go and exited the room.

 _Alrighty then._

"Where were we?" I spoke up, trying to move on from my nation's odd behavior and the strangeness of the situation.

"I-I was changing." Canada reluctantly spoke up, his eyes aimed downwards.

"Oh, yeah. You do that and I'll grab you a shirt." I turned towards the room's closet in order to prevent my eyes from straying where they shouldn't while Canada changed. After grabbing a white shirt that resembled the one he was removing, I tossed it back without turning around.

"I guess I should put this towel back too; the stain is probably not coming off after all this time passed." I headed to the restroom to return the towel there, and grant Canada more time to change.

 _Please don't be shirtless, I'll melt into goo if you are._ The thought crossed my mind as I returned to the bedroom. Considering I was in an anime world, it was also possible I would nosebleed as I faced Canada again. Fortunately, I soon saw he was fully dressed and no longer red in the face.

"Thank you, May." Canada replied with cheer in his voice and a kind smile.

 _Such a sweetheart!_ I kawaiied in the inside, but decided to move on.

"Sorry about America. He's been acting a little overbearing lately." I apologized in place of my country.

"I'm aware. He called me awhile ago, ranting about how he was going pummel Germany for getting you hurt." Canada had a thoughtful look as he seemed to think back to that day, while I simply gazed at him with a shocked expression.

 _Jeez, he really was worried about me_... _Going over a day without knowing if I drowned probably made the experience worse_. I winced at my own lack of consideration for America's feelings.

 _I'll make it up to him one day._

"Anyway, he let me stay here, so I might as well continue helping you out." Canada looked ready to protest, but I hurried on.

"I could make you something to eat for lunch." I suggested slowly, realizing I honestly had no solid plan on how to make Canada better.

"Are you sure? I'm not so sick I can't make my own food, and its not even twelve yet." Canada tried to persuade me, but I shook my head.

"I want to help, Canada." I told him with determination. "So just get some rest, and I'll surprise with something that can knock the cold out of you." I sent him a brilliant smile to instill confidence, though I secretly doubted my own abilities.

"I..." Canada appeared to be lost for words, so he simply gave a small nod in my direction before taking a seat on the bed.

"Just wait, you're going to love it!" I tossed back while Canada prepared to go under the covers of his bed, and I left the room in high spirits.

I continued to remain positive until I reached the downstairs' area.

 _Uh, are tornadoes called America common here? Because it's obvious one came through._ The window in the living room was wide open, the curtains were pooled on the ground, and some of the furniture had been knocked over.

 _How did we not hear this? Canada's bedroom must be soundproof!_ Now knowing how America got in, I went over to the window and closed it before I grabbed the curtains to hang up again. After fixing that, I started straightening out the other objects until everything was standing up and roughly in the same location as they were previously.

 _At least he didn't break anything._ I put my hands on my hips while sighing over America's antics. Getting over it though, I placed it out my mind while I headed to the kitchen and flung open the first cabinets I saw.

 _...Pancake, pancake, pancake, pancake mix, pancake, pancake, aaaaand more pancakes!_ I stared buggy-eyed at the cabinets above the kitchen counter, which literally overflowed with everything having to do with pancakes. Shoving boxes aside to peer closer in the back, I felt despair fill me until I caught sight of a smaller box.

"It's, its-" I pulled the box out from the cabinet. "...More pancake mix." I frowned severely, then let out a frustrated cry.

 _I love pancakes as much as the next person, but no. Just no._

"If America runs on Dunkin' Donuts, does that mean Canada runs on pancakes?" I asked myself while rummaging through the cabinet and slowly accepting defeat.

 _I guess I've only got one choice. At least it's not too complicated to make._ The pancake mix just needed an egg and some water to mix with, so I quickly found a measuring cup to toss the ingredients in. Therefore, time passed by in a hurry and I soon found myself flipping pancakes on a skillet.

 _I'll throw some lemons on top to help him get better... This is another reason I can't be a doctor; I suck at healing!_ I sighed while I added a fourth pancake to the plate on the counter. I also threw some diced lemons on the side. I wasn't certain just how much Canada wanted to eat, but considering he was roughly the same size as the U.S., I figured he had a pretty decent sized appetite.

 _But doesn't being sick make you lose your hunger?_

Realizing my possible error, I decided to stop on the fifth pancake and figured that if Canada couldn't finish them all then I would eat the extra pancakes.

 _And this time I made tea that's wasn't just syrup with water thrown in._ I smiled proudly at my creations, as I quickly moved the plate of pancakes to a smaller room with a medium sized table. I also placed a mug by his plate and another to the left, which is where I planned to sit.

 _Time to get him down here_. Quietly rushing upstairs, I slowed down once I neared Canada's closed bedroom door. I pulled my phone out before knocking, and I was glad to see it was now afternoon.

"Canada?" I called out softly, while knocking a bit on the door. Waiting a few seconds, I heard some shuffling noises from inside before the door was opened.

"Is the food ready?" Canada spoke with a soft sigh, the sleepiness in his eyes making him appear like a little kid woken up from his nap.

 _...I'm going to have a cuteness overload if I stay in this house too long._

"Uh, yeah. It's downstairs, but if you're still tired I can-" Canada waved away my worries after rubbing more sleep from his eyes.

"No, it wouldn't be fair to let your food go to waste, and I am hungry." Canada gave me a moderately sloppy grin, before stepping into the hallway.

"Alright, I hope you like it!" I led the way downstairs and only stopped when I reached the doorway to the dining room. Turning to Canada, I said, "Surprise!" Then I slid out of the way so he could enter and take in the sight of food.

"Eh?!" I was shocked when Canada stared at the food, and his eyes, while they didn't gain stars, twinkled in a way that resembled America when he caught sight of hamburgers.

"It's my favorite dish! How did you know, May?" Canada took a seat while giving me an appreciative look, and I joined him at the table by sitting to the left.

"Wild guess." I muttered.

 _More like there was NO other option_.

"Anyway, I doubt there're as good as you can make them, but I hope you like it." I grabbed my mug and started to sip.

 _It's not coffee, but it's caffeine, and that's all an addict needs... Yup, can't lie to myself anymore._

"I've had a lot of years to practice making this, so it's not fair to compare our cooking." Canada tried to assure me just as he started to take a bite out of the first pancake.

 _BAM!_ Both I and Canada jumped when the front door swung open and hit the wall.

"You're favorite nation is back, dudes!" America shouted loud enough to cause me to wince as he came striding in, while carrying a paper bag in one hand.

"America? It's only like one in the afternoon; the meeting can't be over." I had confusion on my face as America walked straight over to me.

"Of course it's not over! It's lunch break, and I'm not about to let you starve!" America sound cheerful when he dropped his bag off in the middle of the table, nearly knocking aside Canada's tea.

"You didn't have to come over for that. I already made lunch for myself-"

"So I brought you some awesome goodies!" America kept talking, apparently not hearing me.

"Here you go!" America pulled out a large hamburger, super sized fries, a huge soft drink, and a bowl of ice cream.

"..." For once, I was speechless while I took in the enormity of food. Barely recovering, I muttered, "I think you somehow confused me with yourself, America. There's no way I can eat all that." I gently pushed the burger and soft drink away, feeling guilty when I noticed America's smile left for a second.

"Don't worry! I can help you out!" America recovered with a smile. Then he took a chair from my right, and placing it barely an inch away from me, he sat down.

"You can have the fries and the ice cream!" America didn't wait for me to respond as he dove right into the hamburger at an inhuman speed.

 _Where does that food go?!_ I could tell that Canada shared my disturbed feeling while America gobbled the food in a matter of seconds.

"Okay, guess we're all having lunch together." I tried to ignore America's bad manners while I took a couple of fries.

"Sluuuurp!" I cringed at America's loud slurping, but followed Canada's lead of giving our meals our full attention.

"Wow, May." Canada looked up from his food after taking his first bite. "This is great, I could almost think it was my own." Canada's compliment caused me to warm a little since I was aware I lacked superior cooking skills.

"Duh, dude! May's the best cook in the world!" America's interjection startled us both. "And she's got the looks to match!" America shone me a bright smile, but I simply stared back with wide eyes, and my mouth was partially open since my mug had been on its way to it.

"Um, thanks. You feeling alright?" I placed the mug back down to focus on my country. America seemingly didn't hear me however, as he went back to slurping on his drink.

 _There's something up with him_. I finished the fries, and not feeling too stuffed, I started to eat the ice cream.

"So Canada," I tried to renew my conversation with him. "Besides the cold, how have you been?" I gave Canada the full attention he was often denied.

"I've been-"

"I brought you other stuff too, May!" America, without preamble, shoved an abnormal sized chocolate bar and a bag of gummy bears in my face.

 _The heck!_ I nearly chocked on my tea.

"Okay, what is wrong with you?!" I raised my voice, wondering why I was being bombarded with sweets.

"Oh, nothing." America said in a tone that made it obvious it was anything but nothing. "I just thought you might be really hungry."

"Well I'm not, and-"

 _Knock-knock!_ For what seemed like the millionth time, I was interrupted by a sound coming from the door. All of us turned to find Britain standing there, looking as miffed as usual.

"I would have waited outside, but it appears this door is broken." Britain explained.

"Dude, what are ya doing here?" America looked more irritated than typical by Britain's interruption.

"I came to retrieve you, fool!" Britain began by glaring at America. "You've missed nearly two hours worth of the meeting since you left to go 'rescue' May!" Britain gave me a quick look before returning his gaze to America. "She's obviously fine, so I don't understand why you've missed hours of the meeting."

 _He didn't go back to the meeting?_ I was growing more puzzled by the second.

"I had to pick up some stuff!" America defended in a huff, and the thought occurred to me that he was talking about the food he brought for me.

 _Why would he do that?_

"That's no excuse! You can't simply walk out of a strategy meeting for the sake of-" Britain looked at the large soda on the table, "atrocious fast food!"

"Uh huh!" America protested in the most immature manner.

"America, just go with him." I gathered the nations' attention. "I don't want you to miss something important, and as we've established, I'm fine here. Besides, I have Canada with me if anything went wrong." I gave Canada a kind smile, and he had momentary surprise on his face until it melted into a pleased smile.

"May will be fine here." Canada agreed, not noticing the growing pout on America's face.

"No he can't. He's not the hero like me!" America whined, nearly throwing a fit.

"Oh shut it!" Britain shouted. "May will be fine with this Canada fellow she's talking about, so let us take our leave already." America quickly rose.

"Fine, I'll go!" America wasn't pleased in the slightest, but then he turned to me and yanked me out of the chair.

"I'll be back in a couple of hours when the meeting ends." America gave me a huge bear hug, cutting off my oxygen for a second, and then he gave me a wink of assurance before he turned away. Besides myself, even Britain stared at America oddly before they headed out the door.

 _What was that all about?!_ I was still very confused about America's strange behavior.

"He was acting more odd than normal." Canada stated, after a grumbling Britain and America left the house.

"Agreed." I retook my seat and looked down at my meal. It was then that I noticed that my ice cream was melting into a puddle. Thus I decided to just finish up my tea instead while moving the chocolate bar and gummy bears to the side.

"M-may?" I looked up to meet Canada's inquisitive gaze.

"Yes?" I couldn't tell what Canada wanted, but noticing his plate was empty made a feeling of pride wash over me.

"...Why are you being so nice to me?" Canada's question didn't catch me entirely off guard, as I sort of expected the question to come up eventually.

 _Britain, Canada, and probably most of the other nations just don't seem able to accept kindness at face value, and that's actually kind of sad_. I figured the only reason America never questioned my kindness was because he assumed being a citizen of his automatically meant you adored him.

 _Now how am I going to say this?_

"Besides the fact that you're a little sick?" The question was rhetorical, but it gave me a place to start. "I guess I felt I owed you." I eventually clarified, turning my gaze to my mug.

"Owe me? For what, eh?" Canada sounded puzzled.

"Well, you never seemed to doubt me even when you first met me, and you never looked at me differently after I explained how I wouldn't be much help in the war..." I trailed off to let the information sink in.

"More importantly, I think you're an amazing person, Canada." I knew without looking that he was staring at me in shock. "You're a real sweetheart, and you should be recognized for all the things you do. It's not fair how little credit you get when you've been fighting in this war longer than even America." I took a sip of my now chilled tea to avoid speaking more.

Yet Canada said nothing for a long moment, and then started, "...It's nice to know someone still thinks so." Canada's words caused me to look up and see the genuine contentment displayed in his eyes. The joy faded a bit though when he admitted, "America acknowledges me sometimes, and even France does occasionally, but it's different when you do it. I don't know how to describe it, but it's like you do it more out of your want and they do it more because they're familiar with me... You understand?" Canada length of speech left me a little shell shocked since I hardly ever heard him speak so much except for that time he ranted about America.

Yet I soon smiled, and mentioned, "I'm glad you feel that way. It was my intention after all." I could tell the feels were starting to overwhelm me, so I decided to get up and put my mug away. Canada didn't say a word as I left, but it was fine with us both.

 _I care about you, Canada, and it's not just because I owe you._ I started to rinse out my mug after deciding to wash it in the sink.

 _You're a good person, don't you know?_ I lost myself to my own thoughts as I continued the busy work.

 _It's a fact that I hope won't ever change._ Once again, a genuine smile graced my lips.

* * *

 _Ahhh!_

"I'm s-so sorry! Are you okay?!" Canada seemed halfway to having a nervous breakdown while I hastily tried to wipe the tea off myself, not caring about the syrup still dripping off my hair.

 _This is payback for earlier, isn't it?_ Apparently today was national major klutz day because both me and Canada had made a mess now. America and the others hadn't come back yet, even though it was already seven at night, so we had decided to play a game of checkers while eating pancakes again _(shocker, right?)_. It was going well until Canada was caught off guard by a sneeze, and he accidentally bumped his cup of tea toward me, which caused me to jump up and knock the syrup bottle in the air. The lid hadn't been properly closed, so I now had burning hot tea on my shirt and syrup on my face and hair.

"This is all my fault, I'm really-" I held a hand up to stop Canada before he asphyxiated and keeled over from the amount of apologies leaving his mouth.

"It's fine, Canada. I did the same to you earlier after all." I tried to placate him, ignoring the now dull burning sensation the tea left on my torso. "I would appreciate being led to the shower however, and I think I need to borrow a jacket or something."

"Sure!"'Canada desperate to help me, rushed to lead me upstairs and towards his bedroom. Grabbing a white shirt with a red maple leaf on it, he handed it to me while I walked into the bathroom.

"If the others come while I'm in the shower, let them know I'll be out in a few minutes." I spoke offhandedly while Canada granted me privacy and left his bedroom.

 _America could be here any second, so I should probably hurry._ I got out of my clothes in a speedy manner and got in the tub. Without waiting for hot water, I turned the shower on to drench my hair and torso.

 _I love Canada's house and all but today's been chaotic, and I just want to go home._ I let out a sigh, making sure to rinse off the front of my hair until not a single inch of syrup remained in it before I decided to turn off the water. Grabbing a towel, I took my time drying off my hair until it was only a little damp and somewhat messy.

 _That took a little longer than I thought._ While I wrapped a towel around my body I noticed the clock on the wall showed twenty minutes had passed.

 _Oh, I left my some of my clothes in the bedroom._ With caution, in case Canada had returned to the room, I peeked out of the bathroom before entering the bedroom. Noticing that the bedroom door was closed, I felt relieved as I bent over to pick up my discarded clothes from the ground. The towel dipped down a little as I straightened back up, and loosened right as my ears caught traces of shouting voices.

 _Hm, must mean they're finally back. Now we can_ \- The door slammed open when America rushed inside like a track runner, and I became petrified due to my pure shock and horror over the action.

"Yo, dude! I'm here to save you from Canada's... boring..." America's voice trailed off when he made a strangled noise, which resembled the pitiful squeak I made as he stared at my revealing appearance, and his mouth hit the floor.

"America! You can't go in there, May is-" Canada ran into the room to grab America's shoulder, but when he saw what held America's attention, his skin paled enough to resemble chalk. "Maple!" Canada shouted, quickly looking away from me with sunset red cheeks.

"My word! What has gotten into you, Ameri-Urk!" Britain took up the same stance as America's with his green eyes wider than I had ever seen them.

 _MOVE YOU IDIOT!_ The logical voice in my head brought me out of my stupor, and I grabbed the nearest object.

"GET OUT!" America barely flew back in time, knocking Canada back with him. However, Britain had no such fortune, and he took the full brunt of the hockey stick I had swung around with all my might. I thought I saw specks of blood enter the air after the collision, but embarrassment won out over kindness and I simply slammed the door on the three nations that were in a rumpled heap outside the doorway.

 _Stupid! Stupid! Idiot!_ I ranted to myself the whole time after I dropped the stick and rushed to throw my clothes back on. Haphazardly I got Canada's much too large shirt on me and without taking a calming breath, I slammed the door back open.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" America's laughter caused my eye to twitch, as I took in the scene near the staircase. Obviously America had gotten over his shame quickly, and he was now collapsed from laughter while shouting, "Dudes, you're faces are priceless!" He pointed at Canada, who was leaning against a wall with a horrified expression.

"Maple, maple, oh maple!" Canada didn't seem to be able to say anything else, due to his absolute mortification, and his face had reddened even further.

He didn't even react when a cheerful France, of all people, gave him a pat on the back while exclaiming, "I am so proud of you, moi enfant! After all these centuries, you are finally applying what I taught you! Next time you must take me with you-"

"Shuff up, you nimwod!" Britain's voice resembled someone that had a stuffed up nose while he use both of his hands to cover the injury I gave him, and some blood dripped down from his fingertips.

"I'm sorry, did you say something? I could not hear that clearly, Britain." France turned to the bleeding nation with a snide look.

"M-maple, maple, maple-"

"HAHAHAHAHA! This is hilarious!"

"Stufid, Fenchie!"

"Don't worry, Big Brother is proud of you too!"

A part of me snapped after listening to all this ruckus, and America saw my fist coming too late as I slammed it hard on top of his head

"Ah!" America gave a cry, and I knew it had to hurt considering he never made a sound when much denser objects crashed into his head. Also, my own fist felt like it had collided with a freight train. Thankfully, my anger dulled the pain as I turned to face the others.

"Out of the way." My voice was quiet but deadly, and France didn't hesitate to skirt out of my path. Going up to the traumatized Canada, I ignored how he seemed to be looking past me and stated, "Get better soon, and I'll be seeing you." Moving along to the staircase, I caught Britain's gaze.

Then I wordlessly pulled a napkin out of my pocket and handed it to him. He understood my unspoken apology, and nodded my way while holding the cloth to his bleeding nose. With that taken care of, I practically fled downstairs.

"What is taking them so long, aru? I need to get back home!" China complained, standing beside Russia, and near the door. I almost passed them in my haste, but in a sudden and rash move, I grabbed Russia's coat sleeve.

"Hm, small girl?" Russia looked "adorably" confused and China stared at me like I was suicidal.

"You have my permission, as an American citizen, to not hold back if you ever get into a fight with my country." After saying that solemnly, I let him go and hurried towards the door. The two nations stared after me with bafflement in their eyes, before they decided to follow me out.

* * *

None of us conversed as we returned to the plane and walked in, since America hadn't thought to lock the doors. I considered sitting in my previous seat, but China was already seated there, and I realized sitting back there would place me right next to Britain and France, which would be either embarrassing or annoying.

 _Lesser of two evils it is._ Reluctantly, I trudged up to the front and crossed my arms while turning to the window. Thus, I fumed for the next five minutes until someone sat down in the pilot's seat next to me. Unusually perceptive, America didn't say a word as he started the plane and prepared to take off. I didn't dare turn to face him though, because I knew I'd be unable to prevent crude words from leaving my mouth. Therefore, I watched our decent upwards instead.

Thus we both remained quiet for a few minutes, with only the yelling in the back disrupting the silence.

At least until one one us cracked.

"I'm sorry, May." America sounded more meekly than I heard in a while, so I cautiously spared him a glance from the comer of my eye. Observing the slumped position and downcast eyes he had, I couldn't help but sigh and mummer,"At least you didn't try to justify it." That was the closest to an acceptance I could manage while continuing to burn with embarrassment and fury. However, when America didn't immediately reply, I conceded and faced him.

"What did you think you were doing today?" I questioned, feeling my anger drip away as curiosity took over.

"What do you mean?" America had a nervous edge to his expression.

"Oh, I don't know. How about all the hugs you've been giving me? Or how you practically stalked me to Canada's house, and then showered me with junk food and compliments? We could start somewhere around there." I held some sarcastic humor in my tone while I listed his abnormal behavior.

However, the silence held for a solid minute as America solely focused on guiding the plane.

"...I thought you were leaving me." America eventually admitted, causing me to give him a raised eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" I was incredibly lost from his unexpected answer.

"It's just... I found you and Canada in that room-"

"Doing absolutely nothing until you walked in." I muttered while America kept going.

"And I thought about how you said Canada was your favorite." America's words caused me to frown, and take his speech more seriously.

"I wondered if maybe you thought he was a better country than me, and that you'd rather be a part of him than me." America's expression was downhearted like a puppy kicked out onto the streets. "So I thought I could remind you how awesome your nation is by doing all that stuff for you... Guess I was being stupid, huh?" America finished off with a sigh, looking miserable enough to cause my heart to clench.

 _He's like a child trying to make up for a wrong in the only way he can._

"Yeah, you were being an idiot." My tone was light, and America's focus briefly swiveled away from the sky to stare at me in a surprised manner. "But I'm used to that by now, and I kind of think it's endearing with you." America was gazing at me from the corner of his eyes.

"I can't claim I've never thought about living somewhere else, but that's not 'cause I hate you or anything. I just like to travel, and sometimes traveling just the U.S. isn't enough to quell that longing. That's okay though, because I don't expect you to give me everything I want; no country really can." America's face was lighting up in the sunset's weak rays of light.

"You don't have to outdo anyone, any _nation_ , for my sake. You're my country, and no mater how far I travel, there's only one place or person I will call home, alright?" I finished off softly, and gave the now smiling nation a fond look. America then gave me an inspecting glance, a desperate attempt to see my honesty, and then he brought his attention back to steering.

 _Now that's the nation I know and love._

America held a pleased expression while he asked, "So you do like me more than Canada?" Only a speck of uncertainty lingered in his voice.

"Of course I do. I'm more of a baseball fan than hockey one anyway." I assured him, causing America's eyes to twinkle.

"And I'm better looking too, right?" America definitely had a teasing sparkle in his eyes when he questioned me.

"Mmm," I appeared to seriously think about it before agreeing, "You guys look pretty similar, but I guess you can be a smidge better looking when you try." America laughed at my reply and continued with, "But you defiantly love me more than coffee, right?"

"Hold the phone! Now you've gone too far!" I shouted in mock horror, while placing my hand against my forward as if I were about to faint. Soon America and I busted into laughter, and our laughs filled the air for a few seconds. It ended when a voice from behind shouted, "Some peofle arf tryfing to sleef! Could you kepf it down?!" Britain's irritated tone silenced us, and caused me to glance back.

"You two should get a room!" France was smirking at us while he added with a wink, "Then invite me over so all three of us can share in _bedroom_ activities!" The sloppy, lewd look on France's face was enough to tell me the activity he mentioned wasn't a game scrabble or checkers. Rolling my eyes, I decided that something should be done about the annoying Frenchman interrupting my moment with my country.

"America, no matter how many screams you hear, please focus on steering the plane." America had a shocked expression until he noticed who I was glaring at, and then he gave a nod of approval and thumbs up.

Thus I got out of my seat, and in a singsong tune said, "Oh, French frieeees? I think we need to-" I cracked my neck to the side and whispered, "Talk."

It soon became apparent Britain wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.

Especially if France continued to scream like that.

* * *

"You may delay, but **time** will not." ~Benjamin Franklin

* * *

 **Feel free to REVIEW!**

 **I swear I don't bite or anything! In fact, I'll send you a mental hug if you leave a nice little, or huge, comment!**

 **Also, for anyone trying to figure out the mysteries surrounding May, I will give you this hint: Pay attention to the quotes and definitions in each chapter; because they tend to have meaning. For example, that quote at the end of this chapter has meaning. But what does it mean? I** **s it a warning? If so, about what? I'll leave you guys to guess.**

 **Bye now!**


	14. Chapter 14: Time Enough

**Normally I would apologize for taking a month to update, but I actually have some decent excuses.**

 **1) College final exams are a killer (especially when they involve writing three 10 paged essays)**

 **2) My first draft of this chapter was accidentally deleted and I had to rewrite everything from the top of my head (that's what I get for not making a backup!)**

 **On a higher note, you guys must have really loved the last chapter because this fanfic now has over 60 follows and tons of people reviewed (for once)! Thank you guys so much; especially those that have been around since the beginning because this fanfic is now over 6 months old!**

 **And I hope you love this chapter too!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own May... No, not the month... That would have been pretty cool though.**

* * *

 **Procrastinate** (also known as Slack): To be late about **Doing** something that must be done

* * *

 _September 1942_

"Ah, now I see!" The dawn of understanding on France's face granted me a spark of hope.

"So you are really," France's enlightened expression became leering as he leaned in closer to me with an oh so dashing smile, "playing hard to get!" France concluded, and he seemingly ignored the way I then decided to slam my head against the window pane from sole frustration.

 _...Those words don't deserve a response at this point._

Rubbing a hand down my face, I stared up at France with a weary expression, and stated, "No, I'm really not." My voice was pouring over with exasperation, but France didn't appear to notice as he laughed off my response.

"Hohohon! No need to deny your desire for me!" France continued to give me a "winning" smile, but I just rolled my eyes.

 _This is all your fault, America!_ I silently griped at my nation since it was his actions that led to France practically singing love songs to me for the past twenty minutes.

 _Though the other countries could have helped by NOT abandoning us in here._

Currently I and France were the only ones left in the meeting room because everyone else had practically fled the area the second the meeting was called to a close, probably hoping to escape one another's company for as long as possible _(true allies, right?)_. Considering how America was typically the first one to rush out of the meetings, preventing his fellow allies from questioning his illogical battle plans, normally I wouldn't have to fend off the country of love for so long, but it was different today.

"I do not ask much of you; just one date with me! Moi, a gorgeous companion, and you, a stunning-" I ignored France's proposal in order to focus on my irritation with all those responsible for my predicament.

 _It would be nice if Britain just hurried up!_ I inclined my head towards the hallway outside of the room, which was where I located the source of muffled yelling from behind the shut door.

"You fool, if only you would listen!"

"Why would I do that?! All your plans are too boring to use!"

"Whether a plan is interesting or not is unimportant in war, and they're not boring anyway!"

Unfortunately, me and France were stranded until both our rides decided to stop arguing, which was an activity they had been participating in since the meeting's conclusion.

 _If Britain wasn't the reason I'm stuck in here, I'd almost feel bad for him._

Apparently France had recently moved in with Britain after Germany and his army crossed the border into French territory, which was odd since I figured that happened a while back in the war. Yet in the Hetalia timeline, very recently Germany had crossed a Maginot Line, which was a border France made specifically to prevent German invasion. However, German troops merely went around the line by going through some forest, and when they got close to France's home, all the Allies agreed it was no longer safe to have France live there. Also, since Britain was the nation geographically closest to him, by default, he had no choice but to house his ally.

 _A match made far from heaven from what I can see._ France had not been making the transition easy for Britain, probably due to his own frustration with the change. Taking into account the way he had been acting for the past two days while Britain lead the meetings, doing everything from insulting Britain's war efforts to falling asleep in the middle of his speeches, I could only imagine how bad it was when they were forced to sleep under the same roof. France had basically made a general nuisance of himself, and it was obviously getting on Britain's nerves as he repeatedly tried to maintain order during the meetings.

 _America was just as bad._ The just voice in my mind reminded me of how America was being his typical American self, and wasn't helping Britain's mental state by also interrupting Britain's battle plans with his own suggestions and how he had an annoying tendency to completely ignore Britain's speeches in favor of eating his burger meals.

 _Must of got rudeness from the French side of the FACE family._

"Hm, are you actually considering it?" France interrupted my train of thought, apparently finally finishing his oh so flattering request, and he was now staring at me with a near expectant expression.

 _Back to the problem at hand._ I steeled myself mentally for France's soon to be backlash, which would be more love proposals, and nearly said "non" just to spite him in his own language, but then a nagging thought occurred to me.

 _He was the one to practically save your life during the shipwreck._ The logical voice in the back of my head brought up a topic that kept occurring to me whenever I saw France at the meetings.

 _And you did mention that you'd help every nation that helped you._ A very insane thought crossed my head, yet I immediately dismissed the entire notion.

 _Canada wanted attention, Britain wanted friends, and France needs...a companion of sorts?_ My head was shouting at me to stop thinking about the idea, but before I could back out on it, I let my mouth take over for once.

"Sure. Let's go on a date." I replied with false calmness and a serious expression. Thus France's smug look dropped away, and a moment later, he had anime shock marks appear around his head like a flashing golden crown. "Tomorrow." I mustered out tersely, quickly losing my nerve as the majority of my being fought to stop me from continuing. "Pick me up from the hotel at five." I barely managed to cough out the rest of the words.

In response, France genuinely looked ready to fall over and I doubted I had ever seen him appear so flabbergasted, but I merely turned my back and walked out the room since I knew my confidence was cracking. "And make sure to put your hair up, it makes you look less like a perv and more like someone closer to my age." I tossed back in a rush before securely shutting the room's door. I was determined to escape before France got over his shock, so I quickly sped over to the two nations arguing on the left side of the hall.

"First it's the frog face, and then it's you!" Britain looked truly prepared to maim someone, particularly the nation in front of him, as he growled out insults none too quietly about the younger nation.

"Dude, it's totally not my fault you're as good at making plans as you are at cooking-" Certain whatever else America had to say would cause Britain to seriously contemplate joining the Axis just so he could bomb him, I grabbed America by the collar and yanked hard enough to partially choke him.

"We're leaving." I told both nations swiftly. Britain looked outrage at the interruption, but America couldn't say much, considering I was intentionally strangling him with his clothing while also dragging him away from the situation.

"I'm not finished with him yet!" Britain shouted with a raised fist, prepared to follow us in order to complete his lecture.

"Don't worry, I'll finish shouting at him for you." I briefly glanced back and then continued to trudge forward. All the while, America was continuing to try to gasp out something but both I and Britain ignored his spastic movements and strangled noises. In fact, Britain only shot my half strangled companion an irritant look, perhaps prepared to protest, before making a dismissive tisk sound and waving me off as if to say "he's your problem now".

"D-Dude!" America gasped out after we were a distance away and I had released his collar, though I was still dragging him by the sleeve. "You don't have to lead me around!" America coughed a little and rubbed his moderately abused throat.

"Act like a child, treated like one." I muttered, my head more focused on the insane whim I had submitted to.

 _You're going on a date with France... What were you thinking?!_ The rational part of my head chided me, and I ignored America's protests until we neared the car and I released him so he could get to the driver's seat.

 _It's only a date with France...the nation of love...and a French fry pervert..._ I tried to play down my decision as I entered the car.

 _...I'm screwed, aren't I?_ The optimistic part of my head offered no comforting thoughts, and I took that as a sign.

 _Some days I hate being right._

* * *

Surprisingly enough, it wasn't that hard to avoid France at the meeting the next day. Though, I had the occasional feeling of being watched throughout the meeting, and a few times when I would glance around the room, I could of sworn I saw France hastily looking away from my general direction. Also, even Britain noted France's more subdued nature today as France hadn't spoken up or insulted him nearly as often as he had been the past couple of days. However, Britain looked relatively pleased with the change, though confused, and he decided not to question the gift. Despite such fortune, I didn't want to tempt fate so I had urged America to rush out at the end of the assembly, and he was glad to since he knew Britain wanted to lecture him about his behavior again.

 _My first date ever is going be with that French fry of a man. Seriously, what was I tripping on yesterday?_ Since the meeting had ended an hour ago, I was now half panicking in the hotel's bathroom while I stared at my mirror image and tried to decide what changes to make to my appearance.

 _Technically, I sort of have been on a date once, but it didn't really count with Tomas_. With a shrug, I decided some light pink lipstick would be fine and I gently applied some to my lips.

 _Besides, he was very different from France._ _Nowhere near as passionate of a boy_. My thoughts got sidetracked as they drifted to Tomas.

 _"He's an odd fellow."_ I recalled my father's words when I mentioned Tomas would be my date to prom. My father wasn't incorrect, as Tomas was strange because he seemed unable to care about anything. He never worried about grades, liked or disliked a class, and was entirely neutral about every topic I could think of. However, when prom came around and me and my friends had decided to go, apparently his parents had practically ordered him to find a date or he wouldn't be allowed to go. Yet, Tomas was a part of my lunchtime friend group, and though he didn't care about prom, I felt bad for him so I offered to be his "date".

 _Only time I've ever seen him mildly shocked...but I got a feeling this date won't be anything like my prom night_. I gazed at myself for a long minute before applying gold eye shadow so lightly that it would only add a slightly darker, sparkly tinge to the skin above my eyes.

 _This was a terrible, terrible mistake._ I eventually concluded that was all the makeup I was willing to add to my face, so I moved on to clothing.

 _Me and Tomas barely even saw each other that night, and only in the end did we share the last dance. He never got inappropriately close, and was a gentleman the entire time, and even drove me and my friends home, and...and why can't France pull a Tomas?!_ Deciding that overthinking it would lead to me losing my confidence, I chose to bring a halt to all my thinking and add my finishing touch, which was placing a red beret on my head. I then preceded to stuff my blue-purple hair under it since I was certain we'd be outside during the date.

 _All done._ I had already changed clothes earlier, and was now wearing a form fitting, black sweater dress with a red stripe going around the bottom of it and a red stripe circling each wrist. It went well with the beret and my black wedge boots, and I figured it was long enough to somewhat fit in with this time period's female attire. Yet I still hesitated to leave the confines of the bathroom because of what awaited me outside, which was a certain overprotective country.

 _I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to pulverize France on sight if he knew what we were doing!_ I was aware that America could be a bit overprotective, even possessive when it came to me or any one of his citizens. I assumed that was the case for most nations, and was sort of the way a parent treated their children.

 _Most of them are centuries older than their people._ It was only my theory, but I figured a part of the reason for the protectiveness was partly selfish, but mainly selfless. In a selfish manner, if something happened to their people then the nations would be in trouble, so it was wise to protect their people in order to protect themselves. Yet, in a selfless manner, their people were a part of their very existence, were like their blood family, and they genuinely cared for them as if they were their younger siblings or children.

 _It's more sweet than creepy, but I don't think France would agree if he wakes up in a hospital._ With a heavy sigh, I figured I had prolonged the inevitable for long enough.

 _Time to finish Step One: Preventing America From Possibly Murdering Me Date._ I took a steadying breath, gave one last scrutinizing glance to my mirror image, and then I headed out of the bathroom.

When I fully walked into the room, I immediately spotted America looking over what I assumed were battle plans from his seat on the hotel bed. Yet when I stepped forward, he glanced up at me and greeted, "May, I almost forgot you were in there! What took you so-" America's words cut off abruptly once he took in my new appearance and he blinked a few times out of astonishment.

"D-dude! What's the special occasion?" Disbelief shown in America's wide eyes as I stood before him.

"What? Can't a girl feel like dressing up every now and then?" I shrugged off his continuous staring while I walked over to the backpack laying on top of my bed. "Anyway, I made you a gift." I smirked to myself as I deflected his attention from my appearance.

 _This will only work if France is on time._ I noted how the clock on the wall showed it was 4:58 as I pulled out a large plastic container from the backpack.

"Huh? A gift?!" America's eyes lit up as I hid the container behind my back and turned to him with a smile.

"Yeah, I heard you complaining about how you can't find any good food in this British city, so I made you something." I started off before slowly handing the container to him.

 _Good thing my old chemistry teacher let us conduct that experiment with the ingredients sugar and milk. It was the tastiest experiment we had in that class!_

America ripped the black container's top off eagerly, and then gasped when he saw what laid inside. "Ice cream!" In a heartbeat, America pulled out a spoon from seemingly thin air and then dove in.

 _Perfect. He's distracted and France-_

 _Knock-knock!_ The sound of someone at the door rang out, but America was too into his dessert to hear it.

Knowing who it had to be though, I fast walked to the door and hurried to throw it open.

"Mademoiselle May?" Despite the fact France was obviously here for me, he still seemed surprised I had actually answered. Recovering quickly though, he offered me a bouquet of roses and a smile while saying, "For a lovely lady, I have brought lovely flowers, but even they could never compare to your own beauty-"

"Great!" I shouted distractedly while pushing France back and stepping out into the hallway.

"Mhm?" Only at that moment did America take time to look up from devouring his treat.

 _Here comes the hard part._ I braced myself, and then dug straight into my explanation.

"I'm going on a date with France; be back by eight!" The words tumbled out at a rate rivaling a speedboat, and I only caught sight of America's wide eyed face before I slammed the door shut.

"Run." I stated to France with a dead serious expression, causing him to blink owlishly at me in confusion.

 _Stupid French fry_. Realizing he wasn't moving fast enough, I grabbed France by the hand he wasn't holding the bouquet in and tugged him towards the staircase as I took the initiative to flee.

"Why are we running?!" France shouted while I hurried down the staircase with France stumbling behind me.

"You'll understand soon!" I tossed back as we neared the exit door on the bottom floor. Yet, while we took a moment to push open the door, we both paused as the familiar voice rang out.

"GET BACK HERE, FRENCHIE!"

After that shout rang out, boots pounding down the stairs could be heard. Therefore, France didn't need any promoting to run after that, and he rushed ahead of me, nearly dragging me into the hotel lobby before my feet caught up.

"Where's the car?!" I questioned once we ran out of the hotel, but to my shock, I couldn't see a single vehicle parked on the street.

"Um, well you see," France had paled considerably and I could of sworn he was sweating. "I tried to ask Britain if I could borrow his car, but that stubborn fool simply wouldn't let me have it!" France had a mixture of irritation and fear in his tone, while my blood turned cold at the news.

 _Crap!_ My plan hadn't factored in not having a get away car, and fear quickly overran my thoughts. Therefore, I turned to France with an expression of deep rooted worry and halfhearted determination.

"In that case...run French fry! Run!" I shouted before we both made a mad dash into the streets.

"YOU CAN'T GET AWAY, KIDNAPPER!" The muffled shout from America luckily came from somewhere in the hotel building, as did the screams of startled hotel residents.

 _Why are they screaming? It's not like they're the ones America-_

"Dear lord, he's got a gun!" France cried out after briefly turning around, and suddenly I heard bullets ricocheting off the ground somewhere in the distant behind us.

 _We won't make it!_ Knowing America could run laps around me and France, I made the rapid choice to lead France into a side alley while secretly hoping America hadn't seen where we ran.

"What if he-" I shushed France when I suddenly heard loud, stomping footfalls nearing our location. Stifling my urge to get back my breathe, I counted the seconds as the steps got closer and closer.

"YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!" Both me and France jumped when the voice came merely a few feet away from us, but then we both watched a blond haired blur make a mad dash pass the alleyway and deeper into the rest of the street. Immediately, we both let out a relieved breathe before we tried to get our heart rates back under control.

"Well," France began after he had calmed down. "I certainly did not expect you to excite me in this way, but it's a nice start." He gave a pointed look to our interlocked hands, and I rushed to release it like it was on fire.

"I'd ask you not to be so full of yourself, but then you wouldn't be France, would you?" I shot back, before I noticed France's appearance. "So you can clean yourself up, hm?" I gave France an appraising look over, noting how he had replaced his usual purple cloak with a black suit and he had tied his hair back like I requested.

"Anything for the special lady of the night." France replied easily while we left the alleyway and entered the street. "Though I must note, my gift does look good on you as well." France eyed the beret on my head, and only then did I realize I was wearing the exact beret France had mailed to me. He actually mailed me many gifts like bouquets, boxes of chocolates, and other "romantic" gestures quite often. Though, America didn't seem very pleased by the intrusion, and I wasn't either, but some of the stuff I had deemed nice enough to keep.

"Yes, I get your gifts sometimes." I eventually replied. "Though I should probably let you know that those boxes of chocolate usually aren't being received when America gets to them first." I smiled at the memory of the multiple times America had claimed I couldn't trust what the "Frenchie" was sending to me, and he then preceded to grab the entire box of chocolate in order to toss it out. Yet I had a pretty decent idea of what he meant when he said he got rid of it when I found chocolate wrappers and empty boxes in the trash the next day.

"I guess I'll have to send you extras then." France amended.

"That would just encourage America to eat more of them. Now stop talking and lead the way to wherever you planned to take me." I rolled my eyes and tapped my foot impatiently.

 _I agreed he needs a companion, but no one told me I had to win the nicest companion in the world award._ I reasoned out my continued annoyance with France.

"Of course! We are going to a restaurant nearby." A flash of irritation briefly crossed France's face after the announcement. "I would of cooked you one of my superior meals but Britain would not allow me near his kitchen." France's huffed out while leading me to the street on the right of the hotel.

"Wait. He doesn't know what you're doing today, does he?" The question occurred to me as I recalled how Britain wouldn't allow him to use the car either, and while I was certain he would happily ruin France's day, I figured he would be more willing if he knew of my involvement.

"Of course not!" France's spoke in an exaggerated aghast manner. "If I had told him, he would of tried to steal your attention and love from me!" France declared passionately.

"No one has to _try_ to do that, it happens naturally." I muttered quietly before clarifying louder, "I think your exaggerating."

"Or maybe you are simply unaware of the way you affect men." France replied cryptically, and I gave him a raised eyebrow in return.

 _Great, he's not just a pervert, he's paranoid too._ Being a companion was proving harder than I thought.

"Whatever. Just hope this place is far away enough that America doesn't burst in Terminator style and mow you down with his shotgun." I felt a light smirk grace my face when I saw the apprehension appear on France's face, despite how he didn't get the movie reference.

"H-Honhon! I would hope not!" France chuckled nervously as he probably mentally visualized the worst case scenario. "Though, I suppose he did not know about this either." France mentioned casually, giving me a knowing look.

"It was either hide the truth until the last second or have you knock on the door and have the barrel of a gun answer you." I replied with a shrug.

"I knew you cared about moi!" France cheered.

"Or maybe I just didn't want your blood ruining that nice hallway floor." I muttered, but France went on as if I hadn't spoken.

"But I had no idea you wanted this type of romance. Yet, if it is a secret love you want, then I would happily make your dream come true!" France winked at me, but I merely graced him with a flat expression.

Thankfully, before he could go on, I found a nice distraction in the scenery. "Is that the place?" I waved my hands towards a medium sized building that looked like it could be a restaurant of this time period.

"Oui, it is!" France walked up to the building ahead and held the door open for me.

"Charming." I muttered sarcastically before walking in with him following behind. It soon became apparent that France had already made a reservation since he merely talked to the waiter for a few seconds before we were seated by the large glass window and given menus.

"...Mal... Très mauvais." France's sounded disdain as he more than likely was disgusted by the British choices offered on the menu. I, on the other hand, recognized or at least heard of most of the options provided by the menu and was pretty content with my options.

 _It's a good thing my father loves foreign food, especially British dishes_. I became absorbed in the menu, ignoring France's obvious disappointment with the food, before I narrowed down my picks to three choices.

 _I love that one dish, but I always ate that at home and mom always said "never do something on a trip that you can do at home"._ The waiter came over, ready to take our orders probably because there was hardly any other customers in the place.

"Hm..." France seemed be burning brain cells while trying to figure out which dish was the least unsavory.

 _I'll go first then._

"I'll take the fish and chips along with a knickerbocker glory." The waiter turned away from me and looked over at France, whom at this point had a nervous sweat drop running down his face and a frantic air while his eyes continued to rove the menu. Taking pity on his dilemma, I quickly scanned the menu and then said, "And he'll be having the Yorkshire pudding." The waiter turned back to me before looking at France who, though shocked, nodded in agreement. Thus, the waiter left us to go fill our orders.

"You know," I began in a lazy manner. "Next time you invite a girl to a restaurant, maybe you should at least have an idea of what you want to eat from it." I chided him, albeit lightly.

"I-It was not like I had many options." France replied in a near embarrassed manner. I would of continued to make a fool of him, but then I spotted something outside of the window that made my eyes widen.

"Um, France, tell me I'm seeing things." I didn't look away from the window, but I knew France had followed my gaze when he suddenly shouted in surprise mixed with fear.

"It's Amérique!" France and me stared wide eyed at the distant figure of the nation outside, who was too close for comfort .

 _I thought I was joking when I said he was going Terminator, but he looks like he's ready to go Judgement Day on this side of England!_ America had what looked like a shot gun strapped to his back, his glasses were slightly askew, and he had a army green bandanna tied around his forehead. Most citizens made a wide berth around him, but he was currently speaking to some poor guy he had cornered and was waving his arms widely to make some sort of demonstration.

"I think he is asking people if they've seen us." France made a good point, as it did appear that he was showing the man my height and France's. However, America clearly didn't get what he wanted because he started shaking the man and shouting loud enough for even those in the restaurant to look out and stare at him. Luckily, the young man managed to get out of his grasp and started running. America didn't give chase, though he did appear to pout before he started to look around the area.

"He's looking over!" I warned. France immediately ducked down and I pulled the menu up, which the waiter had forgotten to take, and shoved my nose into it. Thus, we both stayed in these awkward positions for a long minute before I cautiously peeked out.

"Oh, thank goodness he's gone." I breathed a sigh of relief, waiting for France to pop up, yet I was confused when he didn't quickly get back to his seat.

"You know you can come up now?" I called out.

"I would, but I am enjoying the view too much... Pink is a lovely color on you." France's smirk was evident in his voice.

 _What pink? The only thing I'm wearing that has color is the beret, my makeup, and my underwe-_ It occurred to me that my dress did ride up when I sat down and I hadn't worn any leggings underneath it.

 _Oh that little!_ Without preamble, I threw my foot forward and was quickly rewarded with a thump and a yelp as France met the brunt force of boot and bumped his head on the table at the same time.

"It was a compliment, no?" France managed to stutter out as he rose with obvious bruising on his face, but silenced himself when he saw the angered expression I was shooting at him. He would have received a mouthful from me, but then the waiter came over and brought us our plates.

"Call me if you require anything else." The waiter mentioned, and then left me with the distraction that was fried fish, french fries, and an ice cream sundae. Yet France's dish consisted of something else entirely.

"T-this looks just like-"

"One of your own dishes. Yeah, that's why I picked it for you." I huffed out before he could finish, while he stared at the bread dish, which resembled some of his own dishes and was sort of like a plainer version of a muffin.

"...I cannot believe it." France muttered.

"What? That they're some British food that resemble your own?" I was confused since I thought it was common knowledge that countries in the same continent shared certain similarities with their food.

"No," France looked up with wide eyes. "That there is British food that looks edible."

I had to admit, those words with that flabbergasted expression actually made me laugh a bit.

 _What do you know? This night may not end with a maimed France_. I glanced out the window and gave the outside residence a wary inspection.

 _Assuming America doesn't find us first._

* * *

I had no idea how, but the rest of the dinner went by smoothly and I could dare admit, nicely. France wasn't a complete pervert, just partially, and he somehow managed to make the dinner less awkward for me. He had also showed a genuine interest in what I wanted to do, whether that was babbling about my hopes for a future career in performance, going on about my favorite superhero comics, or even mentioning my moderately extensive knowledge of Aikido when his hand accidentally landed on my leg _(still a perv, remember?)_.

"Now Monsieur France, I admit that I can now see how you've managed not to scare off most women." I noticed France gained a triumphant smile over the remark. "But you're still a perverted French fry in my eyes." I finished, causing France to slump over dramatically for a moment.

However, he recovered in a second, and boldly announced, "I shall win you over before the end of this date, if not, I will be ashamed to call myself the nation of love!"

"Sure, Romeo, sureeee." I rolled my eyes gracefully as we walked down the street. We had both unconsciously agreed that heading farther away from the hotel America might be lurking around would be for the best, so we were heading deeper into the city.

 _Guess I finally got my trip to England after all._ I smiled up at one of the buildings we were passing, in momentary admiration, and therefore didn't notice the man on a collision course with me until he made a startled yelp as he suddenly saw me too.

"May-" I collided with a rather solid body, and almost stumbled backwards until France came up from behind and steadied me.

"Whoa, I am so sorry!" I started, and then became quiet when the man looked up from straightening up his shirt and brushing off his shoulders.

"BRITAIN?!" I and France's shocked outcry merged together to form a larger yell.

"Yes, it's me! Is it really so surprising to find me in my own land?!" Britain shouted back at us, and in my opinion, sounded more irritated than typical.

 _True, finding Britain in Britain isn't that shocking._ I felt myself sweat drop a little in shame from my overreaction.

"What is truly shocking is finding you two...together." Britain sent France a weary look. "Especially since I thought that daft idiot had simply gone mad when he said France had kidnapped you." Britain spoke with suspicion and mild astonishment in his voice.

"Ah, so you have met with America recently." France sounded half nervous, and both us of quickly scanned the streets as if a gun slinging America would manifest from thin air.

"Met with?" Britain scoffed. "More likely he hunted me down." Britain clarified with an air of annoyance.

"I had left my home after I sensed that a large amount of my people were uneasy." Britain began while crossing his arms.

 _So he sensed a disturbance in the Force... Cool._

"Therefore, I investigated the issue and had a few of my citizens mention that there was a madman loose in the city. Apparently the lunatic was running around with a gun and interrogating people about some sister that went missing." Britain gave me a pointed look and I oh so discreetly found a sudden interest in the buildings around us.

"You can imagine my shock, though I probably shouldn't have been, when America ran into me and went off about how he had to rescue May from France before she became corrupted. I obviously thought it was a wild tale, though I admit his concern is probably valid." Britain sent an insinuating smirk to France, who in turn, made an offended noise.

"That is not true!" France bellowed in annoyance before his face became pleasant. "I'll have you know that May herself wanted to go on a date with me." France was smug as a bug when he spoke, and it seemed he was itching to goad Britain into a fight _(the usual)_.

And fight he did receive.

"Liar! There's no way a right minded woman would fall for your filthy ways!" Britain vehemently raised a fist in France's direction. Though I was left puzzled by the statement until I realized Britain had actually complimented me. The action being so foreign from Britain that it took me a while to recognize it.

 _Leaps and bounds in this friendship, I guess._

"Honhonhon! That is where you're wrong! Only the smartest and most beautiful of women would want to be with me, which is more than I can say for you!" France shot back haughtily, and within seconds, Britain and him had pulled out swords as if prepare to duel.

 _Ok, this ain't about to happen._ Realizing I had to intervene before I was trapped watching them duel for the next two hours, I lowered the tips of their swords with my hands and stepped between them.

"First all," I addressed Britain. "France is right, I did come of my own free will." I spoke calmly, attempting to cool his anger.

"WHAT?! B-but May, why-"

"Second of all," I now turned to France. "He practically groveled to get me to say yes... It was as pitiful as you can imagine." I mentioned with a shrug, ignoring the way France immediately performed an anime fall. Britain on the other hand was left chuckling at France's misery.

"Why does your love wound me?!" France shouted dramatically, clutching at his heart as if I had stabbed him.

"Oh, get off the floor and let's finish this date up." I pulled France back up from the collar.

"May, are you certain about this?" Britain glanced at me with what almost reminded me of parental concern before glaring at France. "He might try something." Britain sounded certain that France would.

Before France could reply and start another war, I spoke up by saying, "What is up with you always questioning my decisions? It almost makes me wonder if you don't trust me." I playfully accused Britain, who looked mildly horrified by the concept. "Please, give me some credit. If he tries anything I could just do this-" I stepped on France's foot, causing him to stumble from pain, and while he was distracted by the injury, I caught both of his arms and twisted it behind his back like I was about to arrest him. "I mean, who do you think gave him that bruise when he got a little too perverted for me to tolerate." I concluded, staring at Britain smugly before releasing France.

"I almost think you're enjoying causing me pain!" France shouted in outcry, but I ignored him.

"Yes, my bad. I had forgotten how well you can take care of yourself." Britain seemed to smirk at the pain he saw in France's future while he noted the bruise on France's face from where I had kicked him.

"Yup! So if you could excuse us, we're not done yet," France looked intimidated by the devilish smirk I sent him. "And we have a date to finish." I concluded, gesturing for France to take the lead on the walk we had been interrupted on. He took the queue and sped ahead of me, though I wasn't sure if it was fear or excitement that motivated him most. I turned to follow, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me.

"Am I to assume I shouldn't mention this to America?" Britain questioned, near jokingly _(can Britain even do that?)_ , while moving his hand away.

"Yeah, I'd prefer that." I noted that Britain still had a worried glint in his eyes, so I continued, "Seriously, don't worry about this. I'm legally an adult here and in the U.S., you know?"

Britain didn't seem to expect my reassurance and blinked a couple of times out of shock before he simply nodded in acceptance and turned away. I gave a fleeting look to his back before I turned around myself and fast walked in order to catch up with France.

"So where to?" My voice made France jump slightly.

"Oh, I think that there is a nice river view up ahead that would be nice to walk around." France regained his bearings as we headed to the outskirts of the city.

 _River view? That kind of reminds me of Cincinnati... My dad used to take me to that park with the Ohio River right in front of it_. Nostalgia ran rampant in my head for what felt like a moment, so I was a little surprised to look up and suddenly notice the tall buildings were gone. In their place were a couple of park benches looking over a river that was hidden behind a lot of looming, typical autumn trees.

"Not that much of a view, but points for trying I guess." I muttered snidely, but when France took a seat on one of the benches, I eventually followed his lead. Though I took care to make certain there was a few feet between us.

"Not that lovely, but what can you expect from a country whose looks are so inferior to my own." France threw his own hair back as if he were the most gorgeous man on the earth.

"Just shut it. You're mouth will ruin whatever moment we have here." France quickly clammed up as we both quietly turned to the sunset happening behind the river. A lot of the trees blocked the sight, but the lazy orange glow still peeked through in some spots. Thus we sort of just took a break, and though I wasn't sure about France, I knew I certainly needed one after the hectic afternoon I had. Unfortunately I couldn't take out my phone from where I had stuck it in one of my boots, but I guessed it was at least seven by now.

"This wasn't that bad as far as dates go." I admitted out loud, drawing attention from France, who turned to me in what I assumed was shock. "Then again, how would I know what a good date is? I've never been on a real date before today." I couldn't see France's reaction as I closed my eyes and faced sun, content to just soak up the dying rays.

"...I didn't know this was your first." Mild shock colored France's voice. "You acted as if you've done this before."

 _Great to know my acting skills haven't completely wasted away._ Considering I planned on being a future performer, knowing how to act was just as important to me as my dancing ability.

"And you are so beautiful! Are the men of your world blind?!" France's genuinely befuddled tone caused me to peek one of my eyes open.

"Hehe, it's not because I haven't been asked." I clarified with a lazy drawl. "I've just never said yes to anyone." I momentarily thought back to the multiple times anyone from strangers on the street to familiar faces from school had asked me out.

 _"Hey, girl, can I get ya number?"_

 _"You do my homework and I'll give you kisses!"_

 _"Nice rack. Wanna spend the night with me?"_

 _"You must be foreign; you're too fine to be anything else. FaceTime with me?"_

I brushed such memories away and refocused on the present by fully opening my eyes.

"I also gotta admit, I think you're date proposal was the nicest I ever got from a man... At least you bothered to learn my name first." I mumbled the last part to myself.

Yet France allowed a beat of silence to pass before he asked, "So that is why you accepted?" France sounded uncertain and curious.

"Please, it takes more than a nice proposal to win me over... Saving me from falling off a boat to my possible death earns you waaay more points." I didn't turn to face France, but I had a feeling he wasn't expecting that reply.

"Ah, I see..." France appeared contemplative and serious when he softly muttered to himself. However, the serious expression was soon replaced by a grin, "You don't have to thank me, it was for selfish reasons after all!" He suddenly cried out joyfully.

"What do you mean?" I straightened up in my seat, confused by his announcement.

"I simply could not bear to see such a gorgeous young woman disappear before I could make her fall for me!" France exclaimed with good cheer, but I merely raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"Whatever you say, France. Whatever ya say." I chuckled a bit to myself, knowing France wasn't exactly telling the truth.

 _And I thought only tsunderes had trouble accepting genuine appreciation._ The sun had dipped down a little further in the horizon, and without verbal agreement, we both choose to remain in silence until we had watched the sun disappear completely in the distance.

* * *

The moon was shinning over our heads as walked over to the front of the hotel.

 _Back where we started._ I felt relief that I managed to survive the night with my sanity mainly intact.

"So... It seems we have no choice but to part." France sounded over the top with his misery.

"Would it help if you got a goodbye kiss?" France perked up at the suggestion, but I soon delved into laughter. "You're really too easy to mess around with!" France's face fell when realized I had been joking.

"It is not nice, mademoiselle, to mess with a man's heart like that!" France played up his supposedly wounded heart.

"Like I said, you make it too easy." I mentioned easily. "But I have to say, it went better than I expected. Then again, my expectation was either I wouldn't survive or I end up stabbing you with a dinner fork." France looked disturbed at the mentioning of the last outcome before he straightened up.

"Since I cannot get the traditional kiss, you'll at least allow me to walk you all the way up." France gave me a charming grin, which I merely rolled my eyes at.

 _It's a date, after all_. I shrugged and decided that whatever harm could be done had already occurred earlier, so there was no reason to deny him the pleasure of walking me all the way home.

"Sure, sure. Let me just find where I put that key." I said dismissively. However, as I bent down to the pull the key out of my boot _(where else was I going put it?)._ I caught the briefest sight of a familiar fur ball racing pass me.

 _Americat? What's he-_

"MEEOOWWW!" The screech that came out of America cat sounded like the feline equivalent of a battle cry, and I immediately straightened up at the unexpected noise.

"AHHH!" France's screaming caused me to spin on my heel and take in the scene in front of me.

"Get off!" France was desperately attempting to yank off America cat's claws from his chest while America cat fought in his grip, appearing to want to scratch off France's face.

For a second, I couldn't decide whether the scene was laughable or flat out shocking.

"MEOW!" America cat swiped at France and managed to leave a long, red scratch on France's forehead.

"Not the face!" France continued to grapple with the animal, but knowing there was no way he could win against a determined America, even in cat form, I decided to step in.

"Alfie, stop!" I yanked America cat from the back and squashed him into my arms to stop him from clawing in France's general direction. France hurriedly stepped back since the cat appeared ready to pounce on him the minute he got free from my arms, though he had gladly retracted his claws once he became aware that he was struggling in my arms and not France's.

"Meooowww!" America cat howled, still fighting in my arms.

"What the heck has gotten into you?!" I tried to calm the newly aggressive feline by petting his fur, which seemed to stick up despite being so short.

"You know that insane animal?!" France questioned me, with his clothes rumpled and torn in some place and his hair frizzled.

"Well, um-"

"I FINALLY FOUND YOU!" Everyone, including the cat in my arms, froze at the sound of the bellowing voice.

"BLEEEP! ...BLEEP!" France shouted what I assumed were very loud curses as we took in the sudden appearance of my half cocked nation.

 _What happened to him?! He looks like an escaped psycho that went through the wrong type of shock therapy and then decided to down ten cups of coffee!_ America approached us slowly while random parts of him occasionally twitched with a nervous tension, which was none too reassuring since he had a shotgun in his hands and aimed in our general direction. His glasses were completely missing from his face, which explained why his eyes were narrowed and his aim wavered. Also, his typical air force coat wasn't on him, the bandanna was still tied around his head, and his T-shirt plus pants were covered with mud.

"I SPENT ALL DAY LOOKING FOR YOU, FRENCHIE!" America announced while breathing heavily, like he had literally ran throughout the entire country, which was possible if America had gone as insane as he appeared.

"BUT THEN I REALIZED YOU'D COME BACK TO SCENE OF THE CRIME EVENTUALLY!" America then gave his typical annoying laugh, but with the way he had stole the convict look, it reminded me more of a triumphant villain out of a 1940s comic than a hero. I even half expected lightning to strike behind him as he closed in on France, who slowly backed away.

 _Bleep, he's going to kill him! ...Wait, I can't even hear the curse in my own mind? What gives Hetalia world?!_ Freaking out just as much as France, who was sweating bullets by the time America stood a few feet in front of him, I realized France was one dead french fry unless I did something.

 _I swear, it's like I've been playing Wonder Woman all day and he's my Steve Trevor that always needs to be rescued!_ America clicked the safety off the gun while France sounded like he was possibly praying in French. America, however, hesitated in shooting him straight away in favor of giving him a final "heroic" speech _(never could resist having the last word, that guy)_.

"NOW I'VE FINALLY-"

"America, watch out, it's Germany!" I gestured wildly behind America, who in all his heroic glory, couldn't resist turning around at the chance.

"What?!" America squinted hard at the street behind him and even shot off a few bullets from his gun into empty air, so jittery he was. I hurriedly turned to shout at France, but I was taken aback when I noted how France didn't need any urging this time, because he was already a small dot running off into the night.

"YOU WON'T GET AWAY!" America had quickly caught on to the escape attempt and soon began chasing him with enough speed to leave dust flying.

No joke, I really had to close my eyes so they wouldn't get any dirt in them. Coughing a little once the dust cleared, I realized I was now completely alone under the moonlight.

"Meow?" America cat captured my attention as he no longer struggled in my arms and just looked up at me.

"I don't know what the frick just went down, but you're not off the hook, Ameri-bro." I looked down at him sternly, though he just looked up at me innocently.

"Seriously, why would you do that? It's almost like you knew me and France were on a..." I spotted a familiar white furred cat standing off to the side, and smirking in his own feline way.

"Britain cat? You're here too?" Britain made no verbal noise, merely walked up to my side and stared up at me with a look that just shouted "mission accomplished".

"Wait." All the pieces were falling together in my head. "You're the reason Alfie went crazy, aren't you?" The cat said nothing as he smugly looked on in the direction the two nations had run off in, but he didn't have to for me to make the right conclusion.

 _It seems Britain cat hates both Frances, human or cat, equally._ It was easy to imagine that Britain cat had also noted the large quantity of fearful British citizens, who has been disturbed by America, and had been drawn into the city because of that. He probably ran into America, and recognizing how he could probably understand human English, figured out what I and France were doing. Passing this information on to America cat, who he knew would react the same way human America had, caused Britain cat to have a front row seat to a France, his rival, getting his eyes nearly clawed out.

"Oh, you devious feline, you." I narrowed my eyes at the cat, who merely looked back at me in what I would call a haughty manner. "I guess you're the one who really should be in trouble. But how to deal with you?" I mumbled, and Britain cat finally lost his triumphant air. America cat took my sudden distraction to leap out my arms and hurry over to Britain cat, probably to play with him.

 _...That actually gives me an idea._ I noted how annoyed Britain cat became as America cat meowed loudly around him.

"It's much too late for an upscale cat like yourself to be caught out here." I announced, causing both cats to look over at me. "So it seems I have no choice but to house you for tonight." Britain cat looked stunned, while America cat just looked ecstatic. Using his shock to my advantage, I quickly yanked Britain cat up and pulled him close.

"I'm sure Ameri-bro will love the company!" I spoke in an overly sweet tone while hurrying inside before Britain cat could even put up a fight.

"Mao!" Britain cat wailed when he saw the door close behind America cat, who had happily jetted into the hotel lobby.

"Meow!" America cheerfully shouted, eagerly following my lead to the staircase.

 _It's a good thing no one heard that. I don't think pets are allowed in here._ Britain cat struggled furiously all the way up to my room on the third floor, despite how futile his efforts were.

"Home, sweet home. Right, Britain cat?" I teased, quickly releasing the antsy Britain cat and allowing him to run over to the door and scratch frantically at it, like that would make it open again. America cat on the other hand eagerly went over to the bed and laid down to rest.

"It's been a long night." I didn't bother changing as I laid myself out on the bed America cat had sprawled out on and claimed as his own. I only took time to toss a pillow on the ground for Britain cat to use wherever he finished sulking before I was under the covers.

 _So France could be dead when I wake up tomorrow morning... That's a thing._ Today's events rolled over in my head as turned to the lamp beside me.

 _America might be a murderer too._ I tugged on the lamp's light string to turn it off, noting the multiple empty cups of coffee littering the desk it was on.

 _And I could be on house arrest for the rest of my time in Hetalia... Yup, going to be in denial and just tell myself I can sleep my problems away._ With those final thoughts, mental exhaustion became my natural sleeping pill and I was out like a light within seconds.

* * *

"No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination: never put off till tomorrow what you can **do** today." ~Philip Stanhope

* * *

 **So spring break allowed this to get done on time, though it ends for me in two days (why?!).**

 **Anyway, please leave a review, follow, favorite, and continue being the awesome readers you are!**

 **Next chapter might not be as ridiculous, but trust me, it will still have some crazy scenes. I mean, it's Hetalia we're talking about here!**

 **Bye now!**


	15. Chapter 15: Piecing It Together

**Thanks to all the people who reviewed, followed, and favorited this fanfic! You guys rock and are the reason this fanfic now has over 70 followers and reviews are in the 60s!**

 **I hope you guys enjoy reading this chapter, though** WARNING: **There are some subtle references to an event some might consider a trigger. It's so subtle I don't think I need to specify, but most Americans will get the idea of what I implied.**

 **Disclaimer: It's two in the morning... I have homework I could be doing and sleep to catch up on... No obligations to write about Hetalia characters I'll never own... Going do it anyway!**

* * *

 **Show** (also know as Exhibit): To **Reveal** through one's nature or behavior

* * *

I rolled over so I was now laying on my back.

 _...Nope, not working._ I rolled over again to get situated on my left side. Thus my face was immediately met by the bushy end of a tail. Not wanting to spend whatever was left of the night sniffing a sleeping America-cat, who was notorious for moving around and sometimes kicking out in his sleep, I decided to try another position.

 _Please, just give me a break._ I growled silently in my head before flopping over so I could now rest on my right side. Then I waited a few seconds and hoped to soon feel the tug of the peaceful oblivion I longed for.

The clock ticked for a few minutes, but the tug never came.

 _Okay, I give up! I'm officially getting no sleep tonight._ Resigning myself to insomnia's whim, I decided to stop hoping since I figured I wasn't going have my way tonight _(or is it morning already?)_. Therefore, I remained awake and moderately alert while I lazily started to look around the room due to my boredom and out of the seldom chance that something would catch my interest.

 _Shfff_ The sound of shuffling blankets grabbed my attention, and my eyes focused on America who had shifted over in his sleep so he was now facing my direction. Withing moments, I felt an internal shudder hit me.

 _The creepiest part is how he's been acting since the Incident._ My memory was a bit disjointed as I fell into idle thoughts about how America had acted all day, or more specifically yesterday since insomnia had probably kept me up past midnight. I had expected some sort of angered outburst from him yesterday morning, considering he had apparently lost his mind merely the night before. Therefore, I was pretty shocked when I had woken up to a typical cheerful America who was wearing the expected Air Force uniform and was offering to get me some breakfast before the meeting. I nearly believed that the whole date and every insane thing that went with it had been an odd dream, but I briefly caught sight of the shotgun sticking out from under his bed.

 _Maybe he's doing it on purpose to unnerve me... But when is America that devious?_ Despite the evidence that the whole date thing had occurred, America didn't mention it to me or anyone else. The only confirmation that he remembered the date was when he greeted everyone at the meeting and sent France a welcoming smile that didn't exactly reach his eyes, which had led to France quickly down at least three glasses of wine in rapid succession.

 _He really owes Britain for that._ Once I had gotten Britain alone at the meeting, and escaped America's attention, I actually got the full story of last night's events from him. Apparently France had barely made it back to Britain's home, and had locked himself in the house before America came knocking. Britain had decided to open the door, and was quickly interrogated by America, but eventually managed to convince him to leave by claiming France had already ran out the back. According to Britain, he only saved France because he didn't want his nice carpet to be covered in blood after he had just cleaned it. I doubted that was the true reasoning, but I was just grateful for his actions since otherwise, I would be solely responsible for completely ruining the timeline by getting France killed during WWII.

 _Maybe America is just in denial... Who cares, I'm just glad I'm not on house arrest._ I soon lost interest in staring at my sleeping nation, hence I turned over so I was laying on my back and looking up at the ceiling.

 _Stupid insomnia._ I was a tad irritated about my inability to sleep because tonight was the rare time I felt drowsy.

 _What time is it anyway? It's probably so late I might as well get up._ I begrudgingly sat up in my bed and leaned over the right side to fumble through the bag I had brought with me. Eventually my hand brushed something hard, and assuming it was my phone, I pulled it out, faced it away from me, and pressed where the home button should have been.

 _Now to take a peek._ I cautiously turned my head, taking care not to be blinded by the light, and squinted at the screen.

 _It's five in the morning! Are you kidding me?!_ I was both astonished and angered that I had been dealing with my sleep dilemma for so long, and in my anger, my hand swiped randomly over the home screen as I shoved the phone back down.

 _What is wrong with me? I never get insomnia this bad-_ My tirade ended the moment my eyes glanced down at the phone I was putting away, and they caught sight of the calendar date I had accidentally brought down over the phone's home screen.

 _It's...that day._ My frustration rocketed down to the point that I was certain not a single ember was left within me, and I felt numb as the new information soaked in.

 _It shouldn't matter to me because it technically hasn't happened yet._ I tried to reassure myself that it was ridiculous to be so unnerved by a day that wouldn't have any meaning until the twenty-first century.

 _Plus this is a different dimension, so it might never happen to this America._ The numb feeling spread to the rest of my body, and half of me wanted to look over to America and reassure myself, but the rest of me felt too ashamed _(of what hasn't happened?)_ to do so.

 _I... I really need to get out of here._ Insomnia coupled with a tinge of turmoil convinced me to slip out of bed. I took care to move slowly as I was aware that America-cat was snoozing right beside me, though it might of been unnecessary considering how hard he slept. Regardless, I quietly got up and turned back around only to pull the covers over the sleeping feline, who might of noticed the sudden lack of body heat if I hadn't done so.

 _I don't need to change, I just gotta go._ I figured I had two hours before America got up and noticed my absence, so I decided to use that time to wander outside and clear my head. I moved forward to fumble for my trench coat, which hung from the rack I could barely make out in the dark, and I started to toss it over my pajama shirt when I was nearly startled out of my skin.

"Mao." Britain-cat's glowing green eyes were eerie in the darkness of the room, and had caused me to stumble harshly before I realized who it was.

"What are you doing up?" I whispered to the cat, who was surprisingly still in the hotel. I had thought he would of left earlier this night, which is when I had finally deemed his punishment over, but he had only glanced at the open hotel door before turning around and settling on the pillow I had laid out for him.

"Mao?" Britain-cat spoke up again.

"You're wondering where I'm going, huh?" Britain-cat watched me with a focus resembling a hawk's as I finished shrugging the coat on and tied the coat's belt around my waist.

"I'm not sure actually." I answered the cat's unasked question. "I just need to get out for a bit." The answer was cryptic enough to leave myself in confusion, but I didn't care as I cautiously opened the door.

"Maooo." Britain-cat drawled out like he was chiding me before stepping outside the room. Then he stopped and looked back at me as if to say "are you coming? I don't have all day, you know". I ignored his typical impatience and glanced back to make sure both Americas were actually asleep. I was reassured when America-cat didn't move and America only grumbled a bit in his sleep before turning over to face away from the crack of light coming from the door.

 _What if it does happen to America? You could warn him now, and save all those-_ That thought train was immediately derailed while I forced myself not to slam the door and express my bubbling emotions. Instead, I shook my head a bit and then looked down at Britain-cat.

"So my furry friend, where to?" I spoke with a false cheer, but if Britain-cat recognized it, he didn't verbally acknowledge it while he started to lead me away from the door and towards the staircase. Quickly, and nimbly in Britain-cat's place, I was led outside and somewhere to the left of the hotel.

 _Britain's a quick one!_ I had trouble keeping up with the smallish feline who raced ahead of me, and I had to narrow my eyes slightly so I wouldn't lose him in the darkness of night since most lights had been turned off in the city due to intended blackout.

 _It's easy to forget I'm in the middle of a war when no one is physically attacking America._ I thought leisurely as I briefly noted the darkened streets before returning my focus to Britain-cat, who zipped through the streets with ease.

 _Maybe now, but in your time, the war hit close to home. The planes crumpling like paper into that build-_ I tossed that memory out with a mental smack, and rushed to find a better topic to occupy my mind.

"I'm starting to think you might like me." I looked down at the fast-walking feline with forced amusement, and though he appeared to ignore me, I recognized how a conversation was a perfect way to distract myself. Thus I began jogging a bit myself to keep up with Britain-cat, who was barely pushing himself while we ran through what appeared to be a walking path in the middle of a park. Trees lined both of the path's sides, it had a flat cobblestone ground, and the occasional benches made it obvious what type of place I had been led to.

"Mao." Britain eventually muttered, probably a contradiction to my statement.

"No, I'm serious. You keep popping up nearly as much as Americat. Any reason for that?" I questioned slyly, and I took note of how Britain-cat suddenly sped up and started to sprint ahead of me.

"Hey! You can't run from this topic forever!" I shouted after him, but the stubborn cat didn't even grace me with a reply as he ran out of sight.

"What a tsundere." I muttered to myself, slowing down until I fell into a walking pace.

 _Come to think of it, I don't really remember how we got here._ I nearly came to a halt once I realized how I been more focused on watching Britain-cat than paying attention to my surroundings.

"Great. I'm lost in this random park with no way back, and someone will notice in-" I slipped my phone out. "An hour and a half. This ought to be fun." I muttered sarcastically to myself, regretting that I had scared off Britain-cat when he was the only night companion I had who knew how to easily navigate Britain.

"Plus, I should probably have someone around to keep my mind off... things." Unfortunately, the words sparked my mind into thinking over particular flying things, and all the troublesome memories that came with them.

 _"What's wrong?! Are you sick too?" A childlike voice, which I once owned, called out._

 _"Please, stop it, oaka!" I hadn't been able to comprehend what was happening to my-_ I ignored my the faded memories and pushed myself to continue moving forward.

 _I really hate today._ The memory was trickling back in, so I switched to a new topic.

 _I need to find a way back_. I distracted myself by slowing my pace in order to give my eyes more time to observe my surroundings.

 _Wait a minute, can't I just use my phone?_ It occurred to me mid-step, in a random direction, how my phone did have a WiFi signal, and that meant my map app could probably work. Thought it was a map of the England from 2015, I was certain the area hadn't changed so drastically that it couldn't give me at least an idea on where to go.

 _I can't believe I haven't used my phone like this since I got here_. I typed in the hotel address and made the starting route my current location, and within seconds, I had directions given back to me.

 _Ah, technology. Everything is so quick... Though this was faster than normal._ Ever since I had entered Hetalia, my phone had a tendency to take its sweet time to load up webpages or apps that required WiFi, but it didn't even take a minute to think before it found my location.

 _Is that two bars? The signal strength is stronger than usual...which shouldn't be possible considering WiFi isn't even a thought in this time period. Has something changed?_ I was getting lost in my pondering over the strangeness that had continued to follow me since I fell into Hetalia, yet before I could sink in too deep, my ears latched on to a nearby noise. I hastily tucked my phone away into my coat pocket, and focused on the unexpected sound.

 _Thump-thump, thump-thump_! The soft, rhythmic noise was rapidly approaching my location and I soon figured out it was the sound shoes made when they hit pavement at fast speeds.

 _A jogger? I thought that was more of a 21st century obsession_. However, when a figure in the near distance could be made out by me, everything became clear as I took in the man's appearance.

"Britain?" I asked aloud, knowing he couldn't hear me but deciding to voice my thoughts regardless. I watched him stop himself, completely oblivious to my form while I stood closer to the trees that were planted in the middle of park. He was some feet away from me, but the darkness was thick enough around the trees that if he looked over, he wouldn't really see me. Therefore, he slowed to a stop and started to do some common warm-up stretches like no one was watching. I observed him silently, and within mere moments, it occurred to me that I had seen this scene before.

 _Seems all of France's and America's ribbing about Britain being weak has finally got to him._ I recalled the scene in Hetalia where Britain was exercising in order to show he wasn't weak, but then America dragged Britain's car over, single-handedly, and unintentionally convinced Britain give up on getting stronger.

Normally seeing this scene would be pretty funny since Britain looked so out of place jogging and exercising like the average person, but I couldn't find it in me to even giggle. Honestly, I didn't want to make a sound as I waited for Britain to pass by me, as I was not in the mood for interacting at this moment in time.

 _He also might notice there's something off with me._

"Aiyaaa!" The shout unexpectedly came from just a few feet to my left, and I immediately jumped into a half defensive position while a short, startled cry of my own matched up with the disturbance.

 _I swear if some idiot decided to rob me-_ My irate thought bubble was cut short when I recognized the figure standing behind the bushes, and I quickly lowered my arms from their defensive, raised position in front of me.

"I did not expect to see you here, aru." China spoke with the barest hint of surprise after staring at me for a few seconds. His eyes briefly lingered on my still curled fists, but I hardly noticed as I tried to regain my inner calm and blank outward composure.

"I could say the same thing. Jeez, you sure sneaked up on me." I forced my heart rate to slow since I had forgotten China was in this scene with Britain, so his appearance was unanticipated. I also felt some irritation mix with my prior fear, as it was really fairly annoying to myself how I couldn't break off my military reflexes, considering I no longer wanted anything to do with war.

 _Not really the navy's fault. If only they hadn't used those planes..._

"I am not here by choice." China's angry huff thankfully pulled me out of my unpleasant thoughts.

"Britain drag me out here to be his trainer. Apparently he want to get stronger so he can fight better in the war." China's explanation came as no surprise, but I still nodded as if it were new information and I hadn't watched the scene already. Though I was taken aback when China's frustrated demeanor turned into a focused curiosity as he took in my appearance.

 _He probably thinks I look ridiculous._ With cartoonish penguins on my baby blue sleep pants and a trench coat haphazardly thrown over my shirt, I figured I was a pretty interesting sight.

Yet my embarrassment was short lived when China sharply, thought not unkindly, asked, "What are you doing here?" I cringed inwardly, realizing that my deflection of my true purpose in the park had been noticed despite my attempt to get him to focus on himself.

"I couldn't sleep." I spat out quickly. "Figured I might as well just take a walk and clear my mind." I spoke nonchalantly, since it was the original truth after all. China merely nodded in response, hopefully sensing the honesty in my words before he turned to Britain, who was starting to jog again.

"Excuse me for one moment," China began, sending a moderate glare at Britain.

 _Come to think of it, how does China help Britain? Unless he's teaching him kungfu on the side or something._

"YOU CALL THAT A RUN, ARU?!" The shout pierced my abused eardrums _(I live with a constantly shouting nation, 'member?)_ and I jumped once again into a fighting position.

"KEEP RUNNING OR AN OBESE AMERICAN WILL BEAT YOU!" Only then did I notice China had a megaphone in his hand, and as he lowered it, I also lowered my hands and shifted so I wouldn't look like I was going to hit him. However, I felt a tiny smile grow on my face when I noted how Britain only scowled, though more at himself rather than China, and started to pick up the pace with renewed determination.

"Sorry about that." China turned back to me with an exasperated expression. "He was slacking."

"Um, sure." I responded, a little uncertain how I felt about his version of motivation. "I mean, I'm sure he'll appreciate it once he gets stronger." I spoke idly, but something in my voice made China's eyes sharpen just a smidgen as he looked back at me.

"That is correct... But I notice you don't need the same training. Your reflexes are good, though you can't seem to control them well." China's words were spoken like idle observations, but there were tinges of curiosity and another undefinable emotion lingering throughout his tone.

"You can blame the American navy for that one." I scoffed, almost jokingly, but my words were too sarcastic to be taken so lightly. "My reflexes were way easier to handle before I had the navy teaching me to strike blindly then ask who I'm hitting later." My mouth sort of ran off without my control, but I blamed my sleep deprivation on the lack of restraint.

"Hm, I think America mentioned your training. He also said you had martial arts training." China went on, a look of concentration on his face. "I believe he called it...the Colorado?" China was gratefully looking up in contemplation, so he missed how I suddenly performed a quick anime fall.

 _Seriously?! That barely rhymes with aikido!_ I knew one thing for sure, my teacher and my own mother would shake their head in shame at America's butchering of a foreign title.

"Actually, it's called Aikido." I corrected, continuing to shake my head out of exasperation. Therefore, I almost missed the way China's gaze hardened.

"That is a _Japanese_ form?" The sentence was posed as a question, yet the sternness in his voice made him sound certain. Thus, I paused before giving a response and used the extra time to stare at China's facial expression.

 _He's suspicious... No...wary is more exact._ While China was not at all glaring at me, but there was an edge to his eyes I had not seen since we had first met.

 _Wait, I thought we resolved this. Or did he never get over whatever gave him the impression not to trust me?_ I didn't have much time to ponder on that thought, as I noted the tension was getting thicker as my silence endured.

"Yes, it's probably not that common for people to be taught martial arts in this time period; let alone a woman like myself." I started out a matter of factly. "But it's pretty common in modern America for people to learn some sort of Asian martial art. You guys are very good at that stuff." I concluded, purposely adding in some praise to soften China's disposition, thought I did genuinely feel that way about Asia.

China blinked a couple of times at my reply, his gaze softening into a contemplative look before he stated, "That is interesting change, but America always been a strange, young nation." China concluded with a smirk, and his eyes were now as lighthearted as they always were. "And you correct, China is best place to learn martial arts!" China flat out grinned while puffing out his chest out of pride.

 _Great! He's back to kawaii China, and I can live with that._ I wanted to point out that I had said Asia, not specifically China, but then my eyes latched on sky.

"Whoa, I hope I haven't been here too long." I gazed up at the sky, beholding how the dark blue had brightened to a lighter shade and the moon's light wasn't as strong as it had been.

"It must be near sunrise."

"Well then, I'm sorry to leave you hanging, but I've got to get back to my hotel." I explained slightly timidly, thinking over the reaction my country would have if he woke up and I wasn't there.

 _Ten bucks says he'll head straight over to Britain's place and demand France's head._ I shuddered for France's sake, and Britain's carpet, since America barging in there during his tea time would result in the drink spilling all over his floor.

China looked back at me with a concentrated expression, his mouth opening to say one thing and then closing while he nodded to himself over some decision. "You should hurry. Meetings are bad without France screaming like small child in them." China gave me an encouraging look, and I gave a short bow before turning around and falling into a jog.

 _I wonder how he knew about the France thing. Nation gossip?_

"WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING AROUND?! THIS WHY YOU NEVER WIN OLYMPICS!" China's voice, amplified by the megaphone, made me trip over my own feet. Yet, regaining my bearings from my stumble _(not fall!),_ I yanked my phone out and glanced at the time.

 _Great, I still got thirty-seven minutes before it's seven. Lead the way, map app!_ I was in such a hurry that I didn't notice the fact that it took a few extra moments for the map to load, and if I had gave it more than a rushed glance, perhaps I would have been surprised to see that the WiFi had returned to one bar. I might of noticed that the signal had weakened the farther I got away from the forest, and maybe that would of troubled me. Unfortunately, I hardly noticed anything as I hurried.

Time was going by fast, and I had dawdled for far too long.

* * *

America didn't notice a thing. He slept on oblivious when I crept back into the hotel and slipped out of my coat. He merely rolled over when I sat in the chair by his bed and stared at him in a messy daze before the guilt became too much. He didn't bat an eye when he woke up and saw me throwing my tennis shoes on, almost entirely dressed and pretending to be ready to take on the world.

"Yo, dude!" America's warm tone didn't indicate he noticed the way I flinched and looked down whenever he tried to make eye contact. "I got us some real food!" If he saw the way I nibbled on my breakfast sandwich, despite how I normally tended to scarf down anything bacon, he didn't mention it as he downed seven times the amount I ate. A record even for him, which I helped by getting only through half the sandwich and refusing to pick up a single french fry. He even remained oblivious to the fact I practically ran to the car and slammed the door shut before he had fully left the hotel room. In fact, he kept the same conversation going while he entered the car, as if I had never left his side

 _We're running late. This doesn't happen often._ Shockingly, America had overslept, and I had not been in the appropriate mood to initiate conversation with him. In fact, I had been dreading it, so I had let him sleep on. He either didn't notice or didn't care that I could of prevented our current rushed state, so I simply trailed behind him as he ran into the building.

"Come on, May! Britain's going to beat us again!" America sped up and I started to jog behind him, though I intentionally refrained from matching his pace. It was less of a risk that he would look at me if I wasn't beside or in front of him.

 _You wouldn't feel like crap if you just told him the truth._ That annoying voice in the back of my head popped up, but I pretended it hadn't spoken while America made a sharp turn into the meeting room.

 _At least we're not too late_. The thought had just crossed my mind when I came to a sudden halt and stared at the scene before me with a raised eyebrow. Even America remained silent as we noted France's unusually serious expression, while he gazed at all the nations standing around the table in the center of the room.

"I recommend that we take a break from our usual strategy meeting for a while...because a problem that we need to resolve has arisen." All the nations and myself gave France befuddled expressions while we took in his stern demeanor. "Who wants to wake up Mr. I'm-So-Superior-Than-All-Of-You, so we don't have him snoring through this meeting?" Our facial expressions quickly morphed into exasperation when we saw France point down at a certain sleeping nation with his face pulled downwards in an annoyed grimace.

 _Wow, he's actually knocked out. Maybe America got his deep sleeper tendencies from him._ I ignored how France then turned away to mutter dramatically about being jealous that Britain could sleep soundlessly when he was constantly afraid that Germany would try to crawl in bed with him. Though the invasion was a legitimate fear, I thought the love making was more than far fetched. Yet I couldn't help but grin a little as I watched the other nations decide to "help" Britain.

"This acupuncture point will make him urinate, so then he'll wake up." China poked Britain repeatedly in his head, but Britain continued to sleep on. After that proved unsuccessful, Russia suddenly rose up and suggested, "Perhaps we need to apply a little more of the pressure." The gigantic pickax, which spontaneously appeared in his hand, caused me to stare at him like he was insane _(more than usual, that is)_.

"A pickax is not approved for use in any medical treatment..."

 _Great, I'm not the only one who thought that was excessive._

"...but if you insist, I won't stop you." China amended with a shrug, causing me to slap my head out of exasperation.

 _Dang it, China, I thought we were on the same team!_ _The one called Sanity!_ I shook my head as I watched my country interject boldly at that moment, and announce his own opinion in all his American glory.

"Hahaha! I just say we let him sleep right through the whole meeting, then some of us can be right for a change!" America was smiling happily at the prospect of not being lectured by Britain, and amazingly, all the nations stopped and apparently gave the idea a real consideration.

"What's the matter?" America's smile dropped into a curious frown as Britain spoke up in his sleep, and dragged everyone's attention back down to him.

"Oh, did you wet the bed again?"

 _Sooo going in my blackmail records._ Most of the nations peered quizzically at Britain, and didn't notice how America's eyes widened and how his cheeks had become just a smidgen red. The reaction reminded me of a child's face when their mother kissed them in front of their schoolmates, and caused them to be teased by other students.

"Silly, Ame-"

"Dude," America smashed his fist onto Britain's head, schooling his expression into one of seriousness and effectively hiding his embarrassment over Britain's words.

"You should not fall asleep in the middle of a meeting." America's actions caused Britain to shoot up from his sleep, and after blinking to clear his eyes of the memory he had been dreaming about, his confusion melted into irritation when he noted which nation was closest to him and the obvious culprit for the bruise on his head.

"Well, there go our great leader." The sarcasm was smeared thicker than China's accent, and it occurred to me China had quite the sarcastic side to himself and it often came out when he was annoyed. Such as now while we watched America run off laughing while Britain gave chase.

"Do not worry, I can lead us all!" France took Britain's and an oh so terrifying nation's disappearance in stride, and was quick to claim the leader position.

"I disagree, France. Maybe we should wait for them to return, da?" The eeriness in Russia's tone was enough to make France clamp his mouth shut.

"A-actually, I think we should take a break because I... I need more wine!" France suddenly cried out as Russia's stare and unnerving smile made him fidget in place before he snapped. Thus France swiftly exited the room, barely offering me a glance as he hurried past me. I didn't take offense, considering the whole America incident had seemed to traumatized him and he hadn't even sent me a lewd glance yesterday, let alone faced me while I was in America's proximity. Yet even without America's presence, it appeared France was jumpy enough to walk past me without acknowledging my presence.

 _I actually need to thank America for that, the lack of constant flirts are a bonus._

"Aiya! Why I always have to round up all these young ones!" China shouted before turning out the room in order to hunt down the missing allied members.

"I guess it is just you and me, small girl." Russia giggled a bit at the end as he sent me a cute and disturbing smile.

"..." I stared over at Russia with an uncertain gaze.

"..." The smile only widened as Russia stared back.

"..." My gaze continued to linger on Russia's purple eyes, falling deeper into their unusual hue.

"..." Russia looked right back without blinking, and it felt as if the gaze pierced my very core.

 _Okay, I've stared at the pit of eternal darkness long enough!_ My nerve crashed and I looked away.

"I-I'll just be getting China then... Yup." I spoke timidly and awkwardly while I rushed to escape the room and its sole occupant. I tried to tell myself that the sensation of Russia's gaze on my back didn't unnerve me, however, I failed spectacularly.

 _I'm officially going to have nightmares._ I had ran into the hallways and fast-walked a decent distance until I deemed my soul safe again.

 _I wonder if that's the real reason America doesn't like Russia. He's just using all that anger to hide how frigging terrified he is of him._ I didn't truly grant my theory consideration, but it probably would of made a lot of sense if I had.

"Mao!" The sudden call ringing out made me jump to attention.

"My goodness," I held a hand to my heart and glanced down at the orange and white feline with a slight scowl. "Is today some strange British holiday where you scare the life out of every girl called May?" I asked irritatingly.

"Maaaooo!" I was a little shocked by Britain-cat's sudden rush at me before he bit into the edge of my jeans and started to tug me forward.

"What? What is it?" I noted the way he refused to stay in one place and sort of walked around like he was pacing with an unusual gleam in his eyes.

"Maooo!" The practically a howl coming from Britain-cat stunned me, and my mind went into overdrive to figure out what was wrong. Something was clearly causing the animal distress, but whatever it was didn't look like it was physical.

"Come on, Britain-cat. Tell me what's wrong." I kept my tone flat, a part of me hoping the cat would stop worrying me and outright speak human English, so I wouldn't have to play charades. Yet the cat did nothing of the sort and merely ran off once he was assured he had my every attention.

"Hold up!" I called out, but Britain-cat practically left me in the dust before I had gathered enough bearings to run after him.

 _Guess I'm not the only one having an off day._ I watched the feline slow to a stop in front of a window, and fortunately I was far away enough that I didn't crash into him before I managed to stop as well.

"Mao!" Britain-cat shouted back at me before he took a flying leap onto the window sill. Then he nudged the unlocked window to the side and hopped down.

 _...He wants me to follow, doesn't he?_ I glanced at the half opened window, gently pushed open the other side, and then placed my hands on the window sill.

 _James Bond for the win!_ I pushed myself up, and since the window wasn't big enough for me to crouch in, I allowed myself to fall forward.

 _Ah!_ The second of free fall startled me, but surprise became annoyance when my entire body was assaulted by grass and bushes.

 _This better not stick on my clothes._ I brushed off the grass sticking to my shirt as I walked over to the spot of orange and white I saw sitting in place.

"You better have a great explanation..." My words died out as my eyes latched onto the area that Britain-cat was hovering around like a worried mother hen.

"Americat?" I called out while I lowered myself to my knees and hovered beside the cat in a similar way to my British companion.

"What happened to you?" I couldn't help but gasp out since the typical, exuberant cat I knew would never be lying on his side like that unless he was napping.

And he certainly wouldn't have his face scrunched up in pain while three, angry red scratches on his back leg stood out against his pale fur.

"Maooo." Britain cat wailed, and the annoyance he usually reserved for all Americans was nowhere to be found. His actions coincided as he gently pressed a paw against America cat's head. This caused the immobile cat to weakly open half lidded eyes, and the blue, which his eyes were known for, looked cloudy instead of resembling clear skies like I expected.

"Don't worry; I got you." I gently scooped the animal in to my arms, not earning a single protest or wail over the babying, while Britain-cat watched my movements like a hawk.

Then I walked over to the window, gently held America-cat over it and stretched my arms until I could safely lower him to the ground. Britain-cat quickly jumped onto the window sill and hopped down to land beside him with his typical feline grace. Thus I waited for him to guide America-cat up into a half standing position and watched them move over before I tumbled beside them.

"Ow." I muttered while rubbing my head, but I stopped when I receive a pointed look from Britain-cat. Said feline was huffing in exertion from holding the larger cat up.

"Not my fault you're getting weak in your old age." I muttered, earning a screech from him and a small meow of praise from America-cat, which was my intention since he clearly needed a pick me up.

"Let's go." I lifted America-cat back into my arms, taking care to avoid touching the injured leg. I then rushed to led the way to the one place of solace I knew of.

"Mao!" Britain cat screeched, coming to a dead halt when I pushed open the door to the woman's restroom.

"Oh, come on! It's the only place I know we won't be disturbed in." I badgered the nation cat, perfectly aware that all the nations were men and wouldn't dare to enter this place. However, Britain-cat's gentleman tendencies caused him to somehow perform a scowl, despite being a cat, before he reluctantly tiptoed in.

"Meowww." The sound was less than pathetic, and it caused my frown to deepen as I laid America-cat on the counter beside the sink.

"This might sting a little." I warned before damping a paper towel and then dabbing it on his injury. Oddly enough, America-cat kept silent as I gently rubbed the area, and that just made me more concerned.

"How did this happen?" I asked myself quietly, finishing the cleaning process and wrapping a strip of paper towel around the scratches to make sure it was protected.

"You can rest up now." I put America-cat back into my arms, and Britain-cat hopped onto the counter to look up at me.

"Do you know what happened?" I asked the older cat, despite knowing I wouldn't get a reply. However, I noted that Britain-cat had looked away from me to peer down at the sink. He stared with an unnerving intensity at something I had failed to see earlier.

 _That looks like black fur?_ I stared at the strange, tiny mass of fur that definitely couldn't have came from America-cat.

 _Now this is worrying._ Britain-cat's eyes blazed as he stared at the clump before he made a derisive noise at it and swiped a clawed paw to knock it down the drain.

* * *

 _They crumpled like structures built during a game of jenga, but this was no game, and those were very real screams on television-_ I shook my head fervently, bringing myself back to the present. I then had to blink a couple of times to understand the sudden transition in mood.

"-what's up with that antique looking jacket?" France poked at Britain's clothing. "Shall I design one for you?"

"Forget about me." Britain quickly replied in a haughty manner. "You should stop dressing like you want attention so bad!" Britain tossed back snidely, but then he jumped in anger and added, "Hey, wait! You've just been contradicting me this whole time!"

"Well, you make me want to contradict you."France smirked with an air of nonchalant while Britain's eyebrow twitched in fury.

"Meetings go nowhere when you two are involved." America, oddly perceptive, was the voice of reason for once. I and the other nations couldn't help but agree while we watched the events play out between the feuding Europeans.

"If you want to complain, tell it to this stubble who tenaciously checks my fashion decisions!" Britain's face had darkened into a deep red as he grabbed France's face by the stubble on his chin.

"Hey! Don't pull my noble stubble!" France cried out, overly dramatic tears pricking his eyes.

"HAHAHHA!" America laughed from behind him, drawing Britain's anger to himself. Therefore he turned to America and chided, "Hey! Don't laugh!"

America, still smiling with mirth, bodily broke the two apart. "Well, first, why don't you try listening to the very end when the other person is speaking." America suggested with a relaxed disposition. Immediately I heard China spit out his tea from pure shock and even saw the smile briefly fade from Russia's face as he was taken aback by America's reasonableness.

America made sure to look at both nations while explaining, "We'll listen to the opinions of both sides thoroughly, and..." America posed heroically with a finger pointed in the air. "...at the end, I'll judge whose opinion is better!"

 _Saw that coming a mile away._

"Why are _you_ making the decision?!"

"America, you're such a frightening child." France shivered to himself, probably recalling the incident that occurred just two days ago.

A part of me wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of the scene, which reminded me of something that would happen in the anime, but I couldn't recall every seeing it before. However, the other part of me figured happiness just wasn't on the menu for today.

 _I really don't feel good. I should of told America I wasn't feeling up to attending the meeting, but I can't really face him._ I thought miserably to myself, but then a pat on my arm brought me out of my self pity.

"Are you well, aru?" China questioned, peering at me with an emotion akin to concern.

"Uh," His sudden question over my well-being shocked me briefly, but then I managed to whisper, "Not really. I'm feeling a little sick." I figured the words were true enough.

"Oh..." China seemed to contemplate my obvious queasiness, which I hadn't bothered to hide while America was distracted by other nations. Then he smiled, and triumphantly stated, "I could give you some of this Chinese herbal medicine! It work fast... And not expensive!" China offered me a strange box, which resembled the off brand of a popular flu medicine, and I stared at with a sweat drop on my face.

"That's nice of you, but I think it's just a twenty-four hour thing. I really don't need it." I waved off the suspicious, unorthodox treatment, though I genuinely appreciated the attempt at kindness.

"If you say so." China shrugged off my response and I turned to face the blackboard, only to find that America was blocking my vision. Quickly, my gaze went downwards to the table as he announced," Dude, let's go out to eat!" From the cheerful words, I supposed that I missed the lunch break announcement during my chat with China.

"I'm sure we can find good food somewhere!" America continued.

"Bloody good food is everywhere, I'll have you know!" Britain's shout from somewhere outside was ignored by America, who seemed to be itching to run out and search for burgers.

"Actually," I started off timidly. "I'm not feeling up to food. I'm a little queasy." It was true because America's lingering presence was making me more clammy by the second.

"Oh." America made a surprised sound mixed with disappointment. "You sure, dude?" America's question sounded like he didn't entirely understand what I meant but my words had worried him nonetheless. According to the anime, America didn't know what a cold was, but context clues had led him to believe it was something that made me lose my appetite.

"Yeah, I'll probably feel better later." I explained softly, hoping that was enough to draw him away.

"Alright, May. But I'll bring you some awesome french fries just in case!" America declared before I watched the brown jacket swivel around and stride to the door.

"Thanks." I muttered to myself as I looked up and caught sight of the passing nation I owed much to.

 _You don't deserve that, not from him. He's really too nice for you._ I ignored the voice as I turned to my side, and opened my backpack. Thankfully, I was now alone in the room as I zipped it open to stare at the sleeping nation cat in it. I had slipped America-cat in there to make sure he would be safe until I could properly bandage his leg when I got back to the hotel.

"Let's go for a walk, buddy." I talked to myself, knowing I couldn't leave the bag for anyone to step on or accidentally knock over when America-cat was in it. Therefore, I lifted the bag and turned it so it would lay against my chest instead of my back.

 _So you help the cat, but not the person- Shut up!_ I was arguing with myself.

I definitely needed to get out more.

* * *

"-even the frog face noticed that she knew her way around that menu!" I ceased walking when I heard the voice echo in the hallway, and then I barely managed to pull myself back from the corner I was about to turn on.

 _I hope he didn't see me._ I had been giving America-cat an extra back rub since he was having such a rough day when the voice cropped up.

 _Is it already time to start the second part of the meeting?_

"You can't trust what that dude says!" The sudden emergence of America's voice, firmer than usual and in reply to Britain, renewed my attention to their conversation. "Besides, he didn't say anything about her liking it! Don't get your hopes up 'cause your desperate for someone to actually like that crap you call food, Iggy!" America's tone was unwavering and teasing before he delved into a short burst of laughter over his own jibe at Britain.

"Don't call me that!" Britain shouted harshly, and it was easy to imagine him turning red. "And I'm not desperate! I simply am trying to point out that it is a possibility, especially since France said she did _enjoy_ her meal and pronounced the names perfectly." Britain sounded a tad smug at the last sentence, and I found myself questioning just what this conversation _(argument, knowing them)_ was about.

Or who, to be specific.

"So what?! The _Frenchie_ says all sorts of crazy stuff!" America replied vehemently, and it was noteworthy that he practically hissed France's nickname.

 _Yup, he's definitely not over the date incident... But why are they talking about France in the first place?_ A part of my brain, which oddly resembled my father, scolded me for eavesdropping. However, the part of me that remembered being a child who played spy at boring grown-up parties continued to listen in.

"I concur with you on that matter, but what about you? Certainly you have noticed this trend at home?" Britain questioned, almost sounding puzzled.

Thus there was a solid moment where I assumed America paused, but then he replied, "Well, she does like some of that stuffy tea... and maybe I've seen her bake those cruddy scones or sometin'..." America trailed off, his loose American twinge coming out stronger due to his obvious reluctance to admit whatever he was talking about. "But May is a one of a kind type of girl, so it doesn't mean anything!" America boasted proudly, causing me to feel my heartbeat slow as I realized this conversation was about me.

 _Huh? What's so important about my eating habits?_ I was lost and confused while I failed at figuring out the genuine subject of their conversation, which had something to do with me and my meal preferences.

"See! You have noticed as well." Britain sounded like he was lording something over America.

In response, America made a scoffing noise before asking, "So one my citizens likes another country's food and that's all the proof you need? You know I'm the 'mixing pot' of the world, right? My people eat everybody's food." America's tone made it obvious he thought little of Britain's knowledge.

"I'm aware that it's normal for your citizens to have diverse and... unusual tastes," Britain clearly felt Americans had the worst taste in the world, but his gentleman side demanded he attempt to make his opinion subtle. "However, it is not simply her knowledge or taste that makes me feel so certain." Britain's voice grew quieter, so I dared to lean in closer to the edge of the hallway corner.

"Oh really?" America's tone oozed with skepticism.

"Yes, truly!" Britain had been ruffled by America's skeptic outlook. "Whenever I am near her, I can sense her like I would anyone of mines." Britain had his infuriated tone replaced with a sudden and soft mildness.

"...That's not possible." America replied, firmly, though more quietly than his previous answers. "I always get the sense when I'm near her. You and I can't both get that same sense 'cause only one nation should be able to, and you're not him!" America sounded downright defensive over his assertion that I was whatever they were arguing about.

 _I wish I had heard the beginning of this talk._ My head was spinning as I tried to figure out what they were arguing over.

"I _am_ aware." Britain replied tersely. "I didn't mean it was the exact same sense. Just that it was similar." Britain was trying to be the rational adult in the hall.

"It's more faint with her, compared to most of them, but it's definitely familiar and it might mean she has some relation-"

"No!" America interrupted, and I thought I even heard a childish foot stomp punctuate the shout. "She's mine!" There was a clear possessive edge to his words, and a not so subtle undertone of a childish "you can't have her!" along with a serious warning to back off from what he had deemed American property.

 _Should I be concerned that it creepily sounds like I'm being treated like an object, but it doesn't even faze me?_ I was eager to hear more, just to get rid of my nagging confusion, but then America-cat made a noise in his sleep, and one his limbs shot out to sock me in the chest. He was obviously unconsciously moving in his sleep, but that didn't stop the pain that assaulted me.

 _Ohhh, did he have to hit so high?!_ The pain distracted me enough that I tipped forward to wrap an arm around my injured torso, and had to walk forward in order not to lose my balance.

"M-may?" Britain stuttered out, almost nervously as I straightened up and turned to the two nations who were standing in the middle of the hall.

"Um, hi there?" I started off somewhat timidly, before thinking quick and adding, "I almost tripped over my own two feet! Good thing I got nice reflexes." I explained away my sudden stumbling into their area, alluding to the concept that I had only been nearby for a few moments and not lingering. Relief quickly came upon Britain's face and America's startled expression dimmed into a small grin.

"There you are, _my_ favorite gal!" America walked up to me, and I felt a sudden nervousness as he approached.

 _You should tell him. If you warn him, he won't have to hurt so much. It won't be all your fault when September comes._ The cynical tone reminded me from the forefront of my mind, and I unconsciously took a step back from America's position before me. Fortunately, he didn't seem to notice as he was too engrossed in pulling out a bag from somewhere within his coat _(Mary Poppins style?)._

"I know you said you weren't hungry, but I brought you some burgers and fries just in case!" America proudly announced, shoving the greasy bag into my hands. Unable to look America in the eye, I instead peered into the bag and mentioned, "Thanks, I'll try to eat it later if I can." I chanced a wary look upwards, and instead of having to meet America's gaze, I saw him flashing a triumphant smile in Britain's direction, who merely glared back at him. However, when he noticed I was staring, Britain turned to me with a more pleasant demeanor.

"I heard you weren't feeling well, May," Britain started off kindly, almost too sweetly to be genuine. "Perhaps I could make you a cup of tea; it could help you feel better." Britain sounded nervous but maintained a moderately content expression.

"Sure, a drink might help. Have any English breakfast?" I questioned, figuring the familiar tea might calm my nerves, which were getting worse after every encounter with America.

"Certainly, luv, I can make it for you over here." Britain waved me over to his side, and I happily sped past America without sparing him a glance in order to join Britain. Strangely enough, America didn't say word at the action, and when I risked a peek back, I noticed he was staring at Britain with a quizzical expression, which resembled shock, before it melted into one of pouty contemplation.

 _For reals, what were they arguing about? Something about me and my link to America? I still don't understand._ My confusion was only furthered when I noted that Britain looked like he had just won the lottery and he was staring ahead confidently, as if he were now positive of something.

 _...Maybe I'll find out eventually._ With that reluctant acceptance, I placed the oddness out of my mind and happily looked forward to some caffeine goodness.

* * *

"You little brat!" I roared with anger, practically vibrating with rage. America-cat merely hobbled on three legs and barely managed to run out into the hotel hallway before Britain-cat could tackle him. I had been weakly attempting to eat the french fries America had gotten for me, if only to appease America's concern since an American refusing an American meal meant they had to be on death's door in his eyes, when America-cat's nose had twitched in his sleep. Then he had blinked his eyes awake and caught sight of the french fries on my lap. Immediately, he jerked up and leapt onto my lap to grab one with his mouth. Though there was a distinct limp when he did so, he clearly wasn't in as much pain as he had led me and Britain-cat to believe.

 _He was playing up the injury just so he could get special treatment! To think I worried!_ I was steaming angry, and so was Britain-cat who had his fur sticking up and everything.

"For what he did... Off with his head." I muttered, and Britain-cat didn't hesitate to run after America-cat with all the vigor his younger counterpart usually held. I thus heard screeching coming from an obvious cat fight, but I merely ignored it.

 _He should be glad I'm not too hungry._ I managed to scarf down another fry.

"Hey, did you say something, May?" America questioned as he turned to me while carrying all his luggage. He had been preparing to take it downstairs to the car we were going to drive to wherever he had landed his plane.

"Nope, you must of been hearing things." I mumbled dismissively, picking up my own luggage in favor of facing America.

"Dude, I'm not- ah!" America's words broke into a cry and I saw the bags fall out of his hand.

"What's wrong?!" My eyes went straight up to stare at America's wide eyed face while he slapped one hand to his upper arm.

"My arm, it just," America lifted up his hand and I was certain both of us were pretty shocked when we saw a red line of blood soaking the spot.

 _He's hurt. America's hurt, he's under attack!_ My thoughts weren't at all rational as planes soared and buildings fell apart in my mind, while I ran over to my nation and hurried to grab his arm.

"Don't worry, I can fix this! We can stop the bleeding and-"

"May, stop." America pushed my frenzied hands away from his left, upper bicep.

"It doesn't even hurt; it just shocked me, ya know." America rolled up his sleeve to reveal that the source of blood was actually quite small. Just a thin, though long, scratch on his arm.

 _It's superficial._ The wound was hardly bleeding, just a few drops of blood escaping from it.

"Oh... But where did it come from?" I tried to recover my dignity from the rare, irrational moment I had.

"Maybe there was a little earthquake or something. I hope it's not California again." Only at the mention of that state, which was on the west side of the country and I assumed the left side of human America, did the real reason occur to me.

"No, it was Oregon." I corrected, mentally slapping myself out of frustration for not realizing it earlier.

"What?" America asked, looking at me quizzically.

"I just remembered something from history class." I started off. "My teacher was joking about this one time Japan tried to attack the U.S. during World War II, but they hadn't factored in the rain when they sent the bomb. So the forest fire they tried to start didn't do anything except knock over a few trees or something." I explained. Honestly, I and the rest of my class had held a good laugh over the epic fail on Japan's part. Yet compared to the significance of Pearl Harbor, most of us had forgotten about the one other time the physical U.S. had been attacked by the Axis.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense." America smiled slightly, probably reassured that nothing serious was going on back home. Then he picked up the bags he dropped and stared at me, the smile lessening ever so slightly.

"At least it got you to finally stop ignoring me, dude." Despite the teasing tone, I froze and I almost felt my own luggage slip out my hands.

"Didn't think I noticed, huh?" America kept up the good-natured smile, but his tone was sharper and flat.

For a second, I didn't know what to say, but then I muttered, "Sorry, I've just been having a bad day." I wanted to escape America's gaze, but I was already maintaining it and looking away would only worsen the tension stirring in the air.

"Any reason why?" America drawled out, looking like he had all the time in the world to listen.

 _Planes colliding and blurring as the flames-_

"Sort of... It's really not you, more of a Me issue." I couldn't help but then look off to the side instead of staring at those hopeful, light blue eyes.

 _Wonder how they'll darken when he watches them crumble to-_

"Shut up." I muttered to myself, hoping America couldn't make out the order to myself.

"It's not that... problem from before, right?" America's inconspicuous words confused before I remembered the only other personal problem he had helped with.

"No, not that." I was quick to correct.

"So just a You problem that involves me?" Once again, I found myself stunned from America's ease at reading between the lines. Like I noted many months ago, he preferred to ignore most people, but if you caught his interest, you'd get all his attention and more.

"No..." Some sort of imaginary but well-made dam in my mind cracked a little after I spoke, and then the water spilled out in the form of an explanation.

"It's my America, not you." America blinked at that, but I cut off his soon-to-be words by continuing. "The America of the future... In my world." I clarified.

"Today is a... significant day for that country. Something very bad happened years ago, and though I know you're not that America," I looked up to stare hard at my nation, holding back the emotions I couldn't risk releasing. "I can't help but think about the incident when I see you today." I couldn't make myself go on, feeling stupid for even saying as much as I did.

"...It was really bad, wasn't it." America answered the question himself and I just looked past him with a frown. "It's a future event... And you want to warn me." America looked like a combination of warmed by the thought and concerned by the future, unpleasant event.

"Yes, but I'm not sure it is a future event!" I cried out, thinking out loud what I had worried about all day. " _My_ America went through that, but from what I saw of you in my world, you never even mentioned the event. So that either means you deserve an Academy Award for being that good at hiding what had to have hurt, or you didn't go through the same thing as my America." I knew that it actually was possible Hetalia had just never shown America during that period of time, but I also knew America was good at smiling through the pain.

He wasn't just some stupid, upbeat nation all the time. He usually was, but like everyone else, he had complexities beyond the obvious.

"...I don't know what to tell you without sounding selfish." America started off with an easy smile that rang a little too false to be genuine. "I know you don't want to tell me about this war, but you didn't say anything about beyond WWII, and avoiding trouble would be nice." I felt my eyes narrow in frustration over the possibility, but America hurried on. "That said, I'd rather not worry over something that won't ever happen." America held a look of deep contemplation.

"...Time travel's a real pain." I summed up, barely managing a smile that felt more like a grimace. "I know you want to help, but I don't think you can... Not with this, when you're this involved." I concluded a tad sadly, wishing I could spill everything.

"Well, I can always listen when you talk to me, 'member?" America added, his smile inching up to its usual joy. I forced a smile back.

 _It's not enough._

"I know." My reply reassured America who started to shuffle to the hotel door.

 _But it's all I'll get._ I trailed behind him, and smiled all the way to the car.

I just hoped America could be doing the same thing on this day, just fifty years later.

* * *

"There are no secrets that time does not **reveal**." ~Jean Racine

* * *

 **Sooo... hope I haven't traumatized anyone and hoped you liked it!**

 **Moving on, anyone figure what I've been hinting about China and what he suspects of May? No? Too subtle? That's okay, it will be more fun when I shock you guys with an epic reveal.**

 **Also, letting you know next chapter will be a lot more lighthearted and will involve a couple of Axis members known for being a tad ridiculous together.**

 **Until then, hopefully no more than 3 weeks, bye!**


	16. Chapter 16: Unseen

**Thanks for all the lovely reviews from last time! And as always, I appreciate the favoriting and following (in the 80s!) of this fanfic.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Well, I'm not the president, so I don't think I can claim to own a country in this story... In fact, don't think presidents own countries either... Does anyone really own a country?**

* * *

 **Timeline** (also known as Record): A listing of events, which **Unfold** within a certain historical time period

* * *

 _October, 1942_

"Yo no hablo ingles, Estados Unidos."

"Maaay, stop talking funny!" America whined, and I could just imagine the pout forming on his face.

"Gracios? No hablo comico. Yo estoy serio." I explained how serious I was being by exaggerating my no nonsense tone.

"Dude, I don't know what you're saying!" America sounded like he wanted to pull out his own hair, but I could only tell this from the aggravated pitch of his voice until he switched on the auto pilot of the plane, turned to face me, and revealed how his expression matched his tone. "I said I was sorry!" America shouted somewhat desperately, giving me his best puppy dog eyes. Unfortunately, that look mixed with the fact he wasn't wearing his bomber jacket, due to the heat of the area we were flying over, worked in his favor by making him appear smaller and younger than usual.

However, I didn't give in and merely crossed my arms while replying, "Tu soy estupido." I wouldn't budge on my stance, as I was still not over what America had done to my precious baseball hat.

"When we get back home, I'll buy you a new one." America tried to win me over. As expected, his first resort to upsetting anyone was to get them whatever money could buy, which was somewhat logical considering he was really well off, financially, during this time period.

"La gorra es especial! De Cincinnati!" I shouted bitterly, allowing him to see anger through my stance and tone.

"I'm sure they make those baseball caps somewhere!" America's uncertainty was easy to spot on his face, and I just knew he couldn't recall ever seeing a single baseball cap decorated specifically for women and bedazzled like mines was. "How about a Yankees instead?"

This time, I didn't even speak. Instead, I sent him a raised eyebrow and a "are you for real?" look, and I was certain a tick mark was flashing bright red on my forehead.

"Maaaaayyy!" America resorted to simply whining, now out of ideas since bribing me hadn't worked. For a moment, I even thought I was viewing him as a whinny chibi before I blinked and he looked normal sized again.

"Estados Unidos de Americaaaaa!" I whined in a mocking manner, being just as immature. I expected him to give me silent treatment after that, but I was proven wrong when I was suddenly shoved to the side and nearly tumbled out of my chair from the sheer force of the push.

 _Oh no he didn't._ After I regained my balance, I leveled a heated glare at America, who was oh so innocently whistling to himself and pretending to steer the plane...

Despite it still being on autopilot.

"Tu. Estas. Muerto." I took America by surprise when I suddenly shoved him off his own chair. He hadn't expected me to retaliate apparently, probably assuming I would just knock him down with words like I typically did _(pacifist tendencies!)_. I felt victorious from the satisfying taste of vengeance until I found myself in a similar dilemma when America just smirked up at me before grabbing my arm and yanking me down with him.

 _I could let him win...but not today!_ Before he could seize the advantage, I pinned him to the ground and stared down at him with a smirk.

"Estupido!"

"Dude, just speak English!" America childishly demanded. Then he turned the tables on me so I ended up being the one pinned under him.

"No." I spoke calmly, ignoring what might of appeared to be my defeat.

"Ha! You just did, bro!" America boasted with a grin.

"Actually, "no" is Spanish and English, so I still won that round." I spoke snidely, and then I knocked him back with a solid knee to the stomach. America was forced off of me, probably because he hadn't seen it coming more than anything else. However, my actions also sparked a playful tinge in his eyes, and within seconds, we were both rolling and twisting all over the ground of the airplane in an odd wrestling match.

"English, dude!"

"Español!"

The titles were yelled out by one of us, each time we got the better of the other, like they were battle cries. Truly, we were acting like a couple of siblings that had gotten into an argument, and decided to solve it the only way we could, which meant we would wrestle until mom came.

Considering Britain wasn't nearby, this wrestling would last a while.

 _Got ya!_ In reality, whenever I managed to best America, I was aware he wasn't using his full strength on me, or it would have been a quick defeat on my part, but that didn't deter the fun I had during our little match. It was nice to know I didn't have to hold back or fight the instincts for once, and I briefly wondered if America felt the same. Therefore, perhaps we were both disappointed when it ended as I gave America a particularly rough shove and he ended banging his head on one of the chairs behind him.

"Ow!" America shouted, though I was certain he was exaggerating since I knew it took a lot more to make him feel pain.

"It should hurt for what you did." I said, a little wheezy since the match had taken a lot of me. America, on the other hand, had barely broken a sweat but I stood up anyway to acknowledge that the game was over. Thus America rose up too, and stared at me warily like I would sneak attack him, which was reasonable since I had been known to do that in prior tussles.

 _"No fair, May!" America yelled, picking himself off the ground I had knocked him onto._

 _"Hey, it was the American navy who taught me that move! Can't blame anyone but yourself technically."_

 _"That's a compliment, right?"_

 _"..."_

 _"..."_

 _"..."_

 _"May?"_

 _"...Take it as you will."_

I smiled at the memory, and brushed it away kindly while I took my seat back up front.

"Still can't believe you dumped soda all over my Cincinnati Reds cap." I muttered after a beat, causing America to glance away from the sky he had been looking at after returning to the pilot's seat. "Now what am I going use to protect my head from all this sun." I muttered more to myself than anyone as I stared down at the deserts we were flying over.

 _First time in Africa. Soon I can rightly claim to have lived in three continents._ I thought absentmindedly, but was knocked out of my pleasant atmosphere when something flopped onto my head and made my vision turn dark.

"Wha-"

"There ya go! You can keep that until we get out of Africa, bro." America's cheerful voice calmed me enough to halt my inner panic over my suddenly obscured vision. Now thinking more rationally, I placed my hand on top of my head to feel the rough, leathery texture of the object.

"Is this an Air Force cap?" I removed the article from my head and placed it in front of my face to find that America had indeed sneaked one of his pilot hats onto my head, with googles and all.

 _It almost looks like the one I had as kid._ Nostalgia was a bittersweet feeling that hit me while I examined the hat. Eventually though, I slowly looked over to my nation, who had been watching me in order to gauge my reaction.

"I... It will do." I ignored the way America gained a smug expression when I placed the hat back on and slipped on the goggles.

"It suits you!" America laughed at some humor even I couldn't comprehend, but I just ignored him as my eyes drifted to the sky and I looked on through the goggles' lenses. It wasn't the clearest view, since they were used goggles, but I liked them anyway.

* * *

"Britain is going to be so stoked when we arrive and I, the hero, save him!" America shouted from somewhere outside the plane, itching to run over and "rescue" Britain, but he was refraining from doing so since he knew I was still in the plane.

"I'm sure he won't see it coming!" I called out while buttoning up the top of the shirt. While I changed clothes in the privacy of the plane, I couldn't help but find it hilarious that America truly believed Britain would be glad over his intrusion. After all, we were on an unauthorized mission to help Britain in the African war effort. America had spontaneously made the decision to go there based on the idea that Britain, in his old age, couldn't manage the war on his own, and none my hints that Britain would be less than pleased by his actions could deter him.

 _I just hope Britain knows it wasn't my idea...and neither was this outfit._ With a shrug, I decided to stop being so self conscious and thus strode out to join my exited country, hoping I looked better than I felt.

"Dude, you look like every other army guy!" America's smiled easily at my outfit, but I just raised an eyebrow.

"Considering you just used masculine titles to describe me, that's not reassuring." I chided my nation.

 _Then again, he always calls me by masculine titles like "dude" or "bro"._ I vaguely wondered if I should be offended while making sure my colored hair was properly hidden underneath the pilot hat. However, I decided to shrug it off as I just wasn't feeling up to a friendly argument.

"Maybe we could pass off as twins!" America continued on like he hadn't heard me.

"Still not a compliment." I muttered, but America had already started to race towards the encampment in the distance.

 _I guess it could be worse._ I finally gazed down at my outfit, which was nearly identical to America's, and consisted of off white pants and a white dress shirt underneath a tan army jacket. I even had a dark blue tie, a brown belt, and brown gloves, though I had shoved the goggles in my backpack since we were no longer in the plane.

 _Good thing I don't get hot easily. Plus it's nice to be in such a warm place when the U.S. is getting chilly._ I had no doubt that the temperature difference had also played a factor in America's decision to come to Africa. Said country was getting far ahead of me, so I decided to jog over to him and ignore the double takes I was getting from American and British army men alike while I rushed to join the U.S.

"Here it goes!" America sounded excited as he stomped up to the front of the largest tent around, which just had to be Britain's. He seemed oblivious to the fact his soldiers were receiving everything from shocked to annoyed looks from the British army men.

 _Then again, the American army looks just as oblivious to the glares._ It seemed the soldiers were being as stereotypical as their nation, exactly like it had been on the island.

"Britain!" American barged in first, tossing away the tent flaps while he entered.

"Surprise." I deadpanned right after, following America calmly. Thus, we both watched as Britain turned to us with a half startled and half horrified expression while his flowered tea cup fell out of his hands to smash on the ground.

 _Hey, I remember this. Wasn't this the ending to the last Hetalia episode I watched?_ It was true that I had binged watched the new Hetalia World Twinkle episodes just the night before my airplane ride, despite knowing I'd regret it in the morning, and this scene resembled the ending for the latest episode to come out in my world's August.

"You no longer have to worry, dude, my army is here to help you stop losing!" America announced cheerfully, partially gloating while also attempting to reassure Britain in his own way.

"What are you doing here?!" Britain had recovered from his shock and had quickly grew angry. Though his still pale complexion reminded me that his anger was mainly being used to mask his horror from America's unwanted arrival.

"To help you win for once, duh!" America prated on, either ignoring _(more likely)_ or not noticing Britain's negative reaction.

"I don't need your help! I've been doing fine!" Britain tried to defend himself, and the other two British army men beside him started to back away when they noted the fit their superior officer was about to have.

 _Time to be the adult in the room._ Since I had no idea what occurred after the end of this Hetalia episode, I decided interning wouldn't effect anybody's future by much.

"Ignore him, Britain." I started off with a light smirk, causing Britain to swivel in my direction. Like the others, he did a double take when he saw what I was wearing, but I went on despite his expression. "You know he can't help but be his American self." I sent Britain a knowing look, and within moments, his face relaxed ever so slightly.

"I'm aware." Britain shook his head in dismay, and we both ignored the offended shout that came from America in response.

"By the way, you're rocking the shorts, bro." I spoke offhandedly, causing both nations to stare at me in wonder. From the corner of my eye, I saw the British officers were sticking to the edge of the tent before scurrying around America to flee the odd space that the tent had became. They had probably thought the situation was uncomfortable before a woman had barged in and complimented their superior's look, and that weirdness had been the final straw.

"W-what?" Britain looked embarrassed and confused over what he probably deciphered as being a high compliment in American English. Though, America seemingly had just noticed Britain was wearing a green, short-sleeved shirt and shorts instead of his typical clothing.

"Hahaha! You look weird in those things!" America teased, causing the pink from embarrassment, on Britain's face, to turn into hot red.

Before he could retaliate with his scathing tongue, I offered, "You're just jealous he's got better legs than you. Heck, they're better than mines." Once more, red turned to a deep pink and possible offense when he took in my last comment.

"I-I don't have womanly legs!" Britain sounded as if he wasn't sure whether to respond with gratitude or wounded male pride, but eventually decided to go with anger since he was more comfortable with that emotion.

"More importantly," Britain redirected the conversation. "I still want to know why you think you can barge in here when I have everything under control!" Britain demanded with a raised fist in America's direction.

"No way! You're too old to being doing that good!" America denied with that same smile. "That's why I came to save you from Germany's army!" America insisted, simply unable to not get the point that Britain tried smashing into his head.

 _I give up, let them argue._ I shrugged as their argument went on like I wasn't here, and seeing I served no purpose, I exited the area.

 _Africa isn't as hot as I was expecting._ Though the air was dry and the sun was strong, I noticed most of the American army men weren't wearing shorts or short sleeves like their British counterparts. I did notice, though, that I got even more stares than the last time I had been around the army on the island.

 _Great, the outfit makes me stand out even more._ The curiosity and confusion was evident around me, so I started to power walk to an area less populated in order to escape their unwanted attention.

 _Maybe this bush will make good company._ I thought sarcastically, and since I was quickly growing bored, I causally kicked a stone to the side in order to briefly entertain myself.

"Ouch!" The unexpected shout caused my eyes to widen while my head swiveled back and forth to catch sight of the source. Immediately, I noted the green uniform standing out against the sandy, pale ground and barely hiding behind a couple of bushes to the side of me.

"Italy?" I was more than a bit shocked to see Italy, in an outfit consisting of shorts and a t-shirt, hiding behind the bush with a fearful expression. "What are you doing in Britain's encampment?" I questioned quizzically.

"Please don't tell him I'm here!" Italy cried out in response, causing me to blink at his adamant plea while he peeked out from behind the shrubbery.

"Sure; I won't tell him." I replied without hesitance, and I almost thought I saw Italy's ever squinted eyes open just the slightest from shock. "I doubt you're here to launch an attack, so I don't have any reason to warn the others." I clarified, hoping to make my stance clear.

"Ve?" Italy looked at me hopefully as he cautiously raised himself to a standing position. "Does this mean you're on our side?" Italy asked with a wide smile, his entire countenance lighting up with joy at the prospect. Though I couldn't ascertain whether it was the idea of having a pretty woman on his side or another reason entirely.

"If you mean the Axis, then no." Italy's face fell, and I felt a short lived pang of guilt when I realized Italy played the hurt puppy face even better than my own country. "Though, I don't align my self with the Allies either. I just happen to have more friends on one side more than the other." I tried to explain my position in a reassuring manner, while also putting it in terms Italy could easily grasp.

"Friends? You mean like Germany and me?" Italy asked, the closest expression to thoughtful crossing his face.

"Exactly. I might have a natural bias for the Allies, considering my nationality, but I'm actually neutral in this war you guys are in." Feeling my little spiel was done, one I figured I'd have to repeat to every Axis member I ended up meeting, I moved on to a more important subject.

"So what are you doing here?" I asked with genuine curiosity coloring my tone since I had merely a vague idea of what Italy was doing in Africa from what I had seen in the anime.

"Hm?" Italy appeared to have forgotten he wasn't exactly in his home turf.

 _He sure is ditsy, but he's also kawaii! Plus his accent just makes me want to laugh and smile at the same time._ I noted these details to myself while I watched Italy slowly recall where he was currently located.

"Oh, I'm here on a Axis mission! Germany told me to wait for him, but I thought I could surprise him by showing up early!" Italy explained, and his warm, easygoing tone almost caught me off guard despite how it matched exactly with his tone in the anime. Furthermore, the fact that he was willing to deluge this moderately sensitive information to me, an American in the middle of WWII, almost made him appear irrational.

 _But it's less stupidity than it is trust._ It was true that everything from Italy's body movements to his warm, upbeat tone showed how he essentially saw the world as any child would before he was old enough to realize not everyone could be his friend.

"I don't think that was the wisest thing to do." I couldn't help but mention with a sigh. "You should at least bring one other soldier with you before jumping into enemy territory." I felt myself come to a sudden halt in speech when I realized I sounded eerily like my mother when she chided me for going out without first letting someone know my destination and utilizing the buddy system.

"Wow, you sure sound like Germany!" Italy announced, cheerful enough that I knew it couldn't be an insult. "Except your so much softer when I hug you." Italy added before pulling me into his embrace so he could bask in my apparent softness.

 _Weird, 'cause I'm pretty sure the four pack on my stomach isn't soft._ I stared down at Italy, who had no qualms with hugging anyone of any nationality, as long as they were a pretty woman, with a combination of exasperation and a near smile.

 _No wonder Germany scolds him all the time. He's so childish, he brings the mom out of anyone._ Italy was now offhandedly going on about how he wished the Italian and German armies had more women like America's did while he continued to cling to my middle.

"I don't think Germany really agrees with the sentiment, but maybe one day he will." I spoke casually, though I honestly couldn't remember what role women played in Germany's army aside from his Hitler youth program. Therefore, I figured they were typically nurses like many women were in the American army.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Italy's head suddenly shot up as he seemed to remember something, however, he continued to cling to me. "I'm supposed to meet up with Germany soon!" Italy finally released me while he seemed to panic over his forgetfulness.

"And I assume the meeting isn't around here." I was fairly certain in the Hetalia scene, after Italy dressed up like an elephant of all creatures, he had met up with Germany somewhere far off after calling him for help.

"Ve, it is! I'm sorry pretty ragazza, I have to go!" Italy sounded genuinely apologetic that he couldn't continue to hug me for the next few hours.

Since he sounded so genuine, I returned the sentiment by saying, "Yeah, maybe we can talk another time." I smiled a little wider when Italy's face lit up like the sun. However, my smile became a confused frown when Italy suddenly pulled out gray clothing and frantically dressed himself in it. Within moments, I was standing beside a shoddy attempt of an animal costume, and Italy was in it.

"I have to camouflage so Britain's men won't catch me." Italy explained before making some noise apparently meant to imitate the mammal he was dressed as. However, I was still reeling from the ridiculousness of it all and refrained from talking in order to take in the insanity.

"By the way," I found my voice somehow, and caused Italy to turn around. "I'm called May; not that I mind being called a pretty woman." I muttered the last part wistfully to myself. Italy paused as if to mull over the new information before smiling at what he no doubt saw as a hand held out in friendship _(or more)_.

"Okay, ciao pretty- May!" Italy corrected himself before quickly running off on twos, which ruined whatever chance he had to play as a baby elephant, and he let out another "pawoo" sound to imitate said animal.

"Did you hear that?" Britain's voice from closer than expected caused me to spin back around. I soon saw that both a scowling Britain and a laughing America were approaching my area, and both of their armies had wisely made themselves scarce after taking in Britain's volcano red expression.

"Dude, are you talking to your imaginary friends again?" America questioned teasingly.

"No! I meant that noise I just heard; it sounded like Italy." Britain muttered the last part to himself, but he thankfully wasn't looking at me or he would of caught my guilty expression while I walked over to them.

"Hey, May!" America greeted. "I finally convinced the limey that he needs my help."

"You did no such thing!" Britain shouted, turning to him with a angry tick mark on his head.

"Now I can let the rest of my army come in!" America went on, without giving consideration to Britain's speech and my reproachful expression. His smile remained even as I and Britain became startled when the ground started to rumble and loud clanking noises filled the air.

 _Where did they come from?_ I watched in silence while a few army tanks drove over the sandy ground to reach us.

"What is this?" Britain demanded, pointing to the vehicles in an accusing manner.

However, America ignored the obvious annoyance in his tone and pointed proudly to the tanks while asking, "So, what do you think of these M1A1s as far as the eye can see?" I would dare say America looked eager to hear Britain's opinion, though I was already certain it wouldn't be the approval America wanted to hear.

"You make too much of everything." Britain stated plainly with narrowed eyes. He then turned to mutter to himself about the annoying nation, but it suddenly hit me that this scene was recognizable.

 _Another scene from another episode?_ I mentally noted the incident before turning back up to America, who had moved on to speaking to one of his army men.

"Ah..." Britain made a thoughtful noise that caused me to turn to him. "Could the reason he makes so much of everything be because he experienced hunger a long time ago?" Britain's pondering expression actually held a tinge of sympathy while he spoke.

 _I never thought of that, but he's probably right._ It was true that the Great Depression had never even crossed my mind while I had been in Hetalia, but as I thought of it, I realized it had been merely a few years ago when it had ended. I couldn't imagine what America looked like during that time, but something told me Britain did and it hadn't been a pretty sight.

Thus I walked up to Britain's side, and he gave me a nod of acknowledgement before we both watched America order more tanks be made.

"You can make as many as you want." Britain broke the silence. "And I'll give you chocolate." Britain tossed a small piece of wrapped chocolate to America, who despite being completely flabbergasted by Britain's actions, managed to use his reflex to catch it.

"What's the matter all of a sudden? I don't get you at all." America expressed his surprise with wide eyes, revealing from his words that he had noticed Britain's reluctance to accept his help and he also could see the sudden switch from irritation to amiableness. However, Britain had already turned away from him, and I assumed Britain didn't want America to catch sight of his expression, which had became somewhat solemn mixed with tsundere embarrassment over his actions.

 _All these years, but you can't stop caring._ It was obvious that despite the scars the war had left on the two, Britain couldn't help but sometimes treat America like the little brother he had been _(still was?)_. However, broaching such a topic even after some many decades was something both were determined to avoid so I kept my mouth shut as I walked over to America, who had already waved off the sole soldier who he had been talking to.

"What was that all about?" America questioned out loud, giving me a confused look.

However, feeling genuinely sympathetic towards America's past and also feeling like being a tease, I simply said, "If you want ice cream at any time, just let me know and I can make you some." I spoke overly solemnly while giving my nation a kind smile and a soft pat on his arm. However, America's expression twisted as if he just saw me grow two heads.

"What's wrong with you two?! Stop acting all freaky!" America demanded, clearly thrown off by Britain and mines combined out of character behavior of giving in to America's sugar filled demands. However, I continued the charade and added, "Isn't it obvious?" America's stance made it obvious it wasn't plain to see. Then with a wicked smirk, I concluded, "You're in the Twilight Zone." The words were solemn and I had pitched my voice to resemble the announcer at the beginning of every episode of the old program.

"What do you mean? It's the afternoon, dude!" America seemed to be contemplating whether I was suffering from heat stroke.

"You'll understand in two decades."

* * *

 _Ocean returned with a vengeance._

 _Blue was vibrant, always getting brighter._

 _No time to prepare as I sunk._

 _ZZzzDo not fight this, it will helpzzz_

 _Let go._

 _Tides shoved me deeper._

 _ZzzzI am not so farzzz_

 _Ocean was determined._

 _I can't win!_ _Waves were beating me, almost had me._

"-can't believe this!"

 _Tides shied away, ocean parted, and blue dulled._

 _I drifted up as tides lost their hold-_

"We have to save him!"

I was finally able to gasp awake and completely escape what I had now decided we're nightmares for leaving me so breathless every time I woke up from them. I steadied my breathing as quickly as I could while sitting up in my cot, but my nerves were shot again when a voice rang out.

"I knew he should of let me put guards around his tent!" America cried out, and his familiar voice was enough to completely disperse any remaining sensations I had from the reoccurring nightmares, and I managed to steady my inner storm of panic.

"W-what?" My voice was too weak for my tastes, so I tired again by speaking louder, "What's going on?" In the pale morning light, I had to squint to protect my eyes so America's form appeared blurry until my eyes adjusted.

"You're up to?" America questioned quickly, already standing by his cot and looking as if he had been up for a while. "Did you hear the invaders?" America questioned in a hurry.

"Huh?" I had no clue what was the subject of conversation, since I had just woken up, yet the term "invaders" resounded with me.

 _Something is after me, invading my mind and trying to get me_. I wasn't certain where the paranoid thought had stemmed from, but I had a feeling my unusual repetitive nightmares had something to do with it.

However, I had no time to think further as America moved on by asking, "You didn't hear anything?"

Feeling a combination of confusion from my dreams and at the situation, slight irritation at being unable to comprehend caused me to partially shout, "What in the world are you going on about?"

"Britain's been captured by the enemy, dude!" America spoke boldly. I was stunned by the immediate and adamant response, but then reason took over.

"How do you know?" I questioned, aware my nation was quick to jump to typically false conclusions.

"He's gone!"

 _...Not much evidence in the court of law, America._

"And that automatically means he's been kidnapped how?" I asked, wide awake by now and starting to get up since it appeared America was already changed and ready for the day. Oddly enough, he was wearing an outfit I had never seen him before.

 _Navy?_ The dark clothing was more familiar than I wanted it to be, despite it being a slightly older version of the one I had once wore.

 _Doesn't matter._ I brushed away the near nostalgic feeling I got when I stared too long at America.

"We have to save him!" America announced, watching me expectantly.

"Alright, I'm coming." I waved off America's urgency with less care than usual. Normally I would try to reason with America's insane requests, but I was still not feeling one hundred percent and I still had the itching sensation to escape. I figured that moving somewhere might wane the feeling away.

 _I guess it's a good thing Britain ditched us._ I thought it was odd that I hadn't heard all the racket that probably came from an entire army relocating as far as they could from America's army, but it was possible the dream might of made my sleep deeper than usual.

 _I'll think about it later._ I promised myself while I hurried to throw my brown suit over my t-shirt and then stuff my feet into my boots. I also hurried to pull on my black backpack since it contained some of the supplies I was sure to need.

"The hero is on the way!" America announced to the whole wide world, before he grabbed my hand and dragged me outside.

"Can you chill?!" I exclaimed while I was yanked over to a cluster of army tanks, which were located a few feet from our tent. While being dragged over, I observed that quite a few army, and now navy, men were staring at me and America's harried appearance. They seemed to pay particular attention to the way America led me around, which caused some to looked amused and others to convey with body language that they shared my pain, and I wasn't surprised some poor soldiers had went through the same thing with America.

"Let's take this one!" America started to climb into a random tank, but I was too out of it to be astonished by our mode of travel, so I simply followed his lead. I didn't even complain about how crowded it was since there was a box of supplies taking up space, and it was a small area in general.

"Here we come, Britain!" It still made me chuckle how America seemed to genuinely believe that Britain was in trouble. Though, I was certain Britain wouldn't feel the same way when he realized America thought Italy of all people could take him down.

 _Vrrmmm._ The tank jolted as America started to steer it forward _(does he even know where he's going?!)_. I wasn't too concerned because I figured America had at least an idea _(hopefully)_ on how to find Britain, and I could use the time we traveled to do something productive.

In the cramp quarters, I ignored America's constant exclamations and started to rummage through my black bag. Eventually, I managed to pull out a plain, black notebook that I had found lying around in America's house. It had been blank when I found, and after I asked America about it, I was given permission to keep it.

 _I need to note everything down._ As I had promised myself, I was making an effort to solve all the mysteries surrounding myself and the Hetalia world. At first, I had been a bit lost about how to go about it, but then I had remembered that in every science class I had, observations went down before a hypothesis and testing came later.

 _I should mention the double episode thing._ Honestly, my notes were more messy than I preferred, but I still hadn't quite figured out how to organize my observations. However, I did have a page where I noted every time scenes from more than one episode occurred within a twenty four hour period. I scrawled the incident of yesterday, since I had checked on my phone and found that the Africa scenes had definitely happened in two different episodes. I then flipped over to another page where I was keeping track of my nightmares.

 _Maybe there is a pattern. I just can't see it yet._ I added the date, time, and other circumstances surrounding my reoccurring nightmare to the list. I then casually examined how each listed incident of the nightmare had progressed.

 _Hm, I got them every night when I first arrived in Hetalia, so they definitely have some relation to my transportation here...but now they seem to come randomly._ Honestly, after my first week, the dreams' frequency didn't seem to have any consistency or similarities. The locations ranged from here, in Africa, to Australia and then back to the U.S. Activities I had done before bed were just as ranged, going from exercising to listening to music.

 _There has to be some clue I'm not seeing._ The frustration grew in me before I slowly managed to release it.

 _I shouldn't make a hypothesis just yet. Like Sherlock said, it's not wise to jump ahead to false conclusions without all the facts._ I reasoned it out and the frustration dimmed.

"Dude, were too late!" America's shout made me drop the notebook back into my bag, which was fine since it seemed I wouldn't have anymore time to examine it at this moment.

"What are you talking about?" I asked before noting the way the tank had stopped and America was now looking through the scope frantically.

"There's already been a battle here!" America shouted. Then he preceded to squeeze pass me and scramble out the tank.

 _Goodness, he's got more energy than a kid on a sugar high._ I hurried after him, and managed to pop my head out in time to see my country run off to the distance.

 _Smoke?_ I saw a dark cloud coming from multiple areas, and as I hopped out the tank, I also noted the bits of of ashes in the air. Gazing around, I found the source of smoke to be from crushed and decimated tanks.

 _Jeez, someone got crushed without mercy._ Examining the place while I started to tail America, I soon caught sight of pyramids and immediately took that as a sign that we were in Egypt.

 _Awesome, this was definitely a destination on my travel list back home-_

"Britainnnn!" I swiveled to stare at America, who was running off in a mad dash to a figure I could just barely make out under the blazing expected, while I ran over to America, and the figure got closer, I knew it was Britain. I also could see that a few tents were set up far behind him and a few exhausted, however triumphant, British soldiers were wandering around them.

 _This must be where they relocated it after ditching us._

"I, the liberator of the world, came to help you!" America shouted, full blown hero mood turned up. Though I noted a slight tension had left his shoulders when he saw that Britain was perfectly fine and not in the trouble he had been certain Britain was in.

"It's a hero's job to help the weak!" America continued on, coming to halt in order to salute England in all his navy glory. I jogged to a stop as well when I caught up, and soon got to gauge Britain's reaction to the intrusion.

"Who're you calling 'weak'?!" Britain's previous good mood was nowhere to be found as he was insulted by America, though it was the rare unintentional offense on America's part.

"I know you've been getting beat up all the time," America continued on with his selective hearing and ignoring the steam rising from Britain. "So I tracked you down to save you, and I even brought supplies!" Suddenly America had the same box I could of sworn we left in the tank within his arms, and he shoved it towards Britain.

"W-what-" Britain struggled with the the unexpected weight and stumbled back before he righted himself. However, he quickly regained his equilibrium, dropped the box on the ground, and appeared ready to continue shouting.

 _Not again!_ Fed up with all the shouting matches I had been hearing for the past two days, I decided to step in.

"You can at least check out what he brought you know." My soft suggestion brought Britain's attention to me, and the redness of his face recessed while he observed the chiding look in my eyes before he released an exasperated sigh.

"Fine." Britain bit out, turning back down to the box, and I noted that America eyed me with surprise since he was shocked that Britain listened to me.

"I can't believe you came nonchalantly bringing these kinds of supplies!" Britain shouted in dismay, glancing down at whatever America had brought.

 _Probably anything from ice cream to burgers in a can._

"We're in a desert, you know!" Britain chided America, with frustration returning to his face.

"That's enough for me to make things work!" America sounded confused by Britain's shock and a question mark even made an appearance by his head.

 _If I swipe at it, will my hand go through it?_ _Or will it be solid?_ Now that I had been seriously looking into the mysteries of Hetalia and myself, I found I was more eager to investigate the strange things I saw. However, the question mark left before I could take a step towards it.

 _I wonder if I'm the only one who can see that stuff or do Hetalians see it too?_ It was possible that the nation's also noticed the strange appearances, but it was such a normal aspect of their world that they ignored them. However, it was also a possibility only I could see it because I watched the anime and continued to see the occasional animation aspects of Hetalia because I was still connected to my world.

 _I could ask them and possibly get weird stares, but that happens all the time anyway._ Unfortunately, now didn't seem the appropriate time to question them as America and Britain continued talking _(AKA arguing)_.

"My boss hates your boss, so he says he wants to beat your boss in every way." America began bluntly, causing me to shake my head in shame at his thoughtless words. "So, would you like to compete?" America asked, a hint of an excitement held in his eyes.

"This isn't a competition!" Britain grew more annoyed by America's flippant treatment of the war and the slight insult towards his boss.

 _Who is his boss?_ It occurred to me that I actually wasn't a hundred percent certain who Britain's boss was during WWII.

 _Was he the dude that gave that "finest hour" speech?_ In my vague memory of high school history class, I recalled that I couldn't remember ever hearing about many world leaders besides Hitler and the U.S. president.

"Winston something?" I mumbled to myself, unknowingly loud enough to catch the nations' ears.

"What did you say?" Britain had turned to me like a hound prepared to defend himself, though I knew it was probably more because he had just defended himself from my own blunt nation.

"Oh, I was just trying to remember who your leader was at this time." I explained, causing Britain's defensive posture to lessen into mild confusion. "It's Winston... Churchill, right?" I was sincerely hoping Britain wouldn't yell at me for butchering what was certainly not an American last name.

"That is correct." Britain confirmed, now eyeing me in a near appraising manner. "How did you know that?"

"My history teacher mentioned how he trash talked us like no tomorrow." I mentioned easily, smirking when I saw Britain perform and anime fall and America turn to him with a near glare, probably at the memory of Churchill's words. "Though he did do it pretty elegantly." I concluded.

"Still not as great as my boss! He totally rocks at speeches!" America interjected.

 _Wait... Who is the president right now?_ I definitely knew the name of the president during WWII, one of the few I did remember, but I also knew that there were two presidents during WWII, and I couldn't remember what year the other one had taken over.

America took in a sharp gasp and his mouth fell open. "Y-you're kidding, right?" I was confused by the horror that had overcome America, but it didn't take me long to realize I had accidentally voiced my pondering out loud.

"Now this is interesting." Britain seemed half as shocked as America, but also a bit pleased for an indeterminable reason.

"Of course I do! I just..." I tried to rectify the situation on my hands, but then I realized telling America that there were two presidents during WWII when it was possible there had still been only one president leading America around, I grew quiet.

"Dude, tell me you're playing!" America looked ready to faint as he stared at me with eyes the size of the moon.

 _Do something!_ I couldn't risk saying a name of a president that may not have been a president yet, so I took a simpler route.

"His last name starts with a 'T'-" America swooned. "FDR! His initials are FDR!" I rushed to correct myself, realizing my error hopefully prior to giving my country a heart attack.

"Don't scare me like that!" America had relief coloring his face, while he straightened himself up.

 _It's your education system, not my fault._ I wanted to snap back, but refrained since I decided America needed a moment to recover.

"How truly interesting." I heard Britain mutter to himself with a small laugh, and I saw him looking at me with what had to be pride.

 _Why do I feel like something is going over my head?_

"Hey, don't get any ideas!" America had also noticed Britain's smugness and suddenly held a angry frown on his face when he stomped over to Britain.

"I'm just observing how-"

"Well, observe this!" America interrupted Britain's explanation, which I had wanted to hear if only to understand what was happening. Though I was given no chance to look for clues when America rounded on me with a cheerful grin, and asked, "Can you show off you're awesome American acting, my future Broadway gal?" America had laid on the compliment thicker than usual, and the question itself was unexpected.

I was uncertain what could be going on, but it seemed innocent enough and both nations were now staring at with a focused anticipation.

"Well, I reckon it depends on what ya mean by American?" I switched to a stereotypical southern voice, the start of my sentence hitching slightly since I was nervous at the large amount of attention I was receiving, and my old shy self had peeked out like it did sometimes. "Do ya totally mean American like the radically awesome accents American bros can have or-" I switched from a surfer American to the average voice most people had in the U.S. "Do you just mean I'm an American performer?" I finished off, and then took in the reactions of both nations.

"Hahahha, that was great, dude!" America applauded with genuine joy in voice. In total contrast, Britain looked ticked off, though his expression was directed at America. Yet, the feeling spent a brief time on him before a light bulb seemed to go off on his head and he turned to me again. However, his smile seemed too upbeat to be real.

"That was rather good. Can you do English accents as well?" America's laughter died a quick death and I stared at Britain with both apprehension and uncertainty.

 _Okay, what in the world is-_

"Don't look so bothered; I won't yell at you over incorrect pronunciation." Britain somehow read my mind and waved off my fear that I was entering a dangerous game. However, there was an honesty underlying his tone and I once again saw no harm from the innocent act.

"Ay, of course ye can, laddie." Both nations blinked at the fact I went with a Scottish accent first. "However, I'm quite uncertain whether you were requesting I speak with any English accent," I switched into one that was the female equivalent of Britain's before switching back to my typical voice. "Or if you specifically wanted to hear the British one."

"..." America wasn't smiling at me, but he wasn't frowning either. In fact, he just stared at me oddly, his emotion for once not written all over his face. Britain, though, had no problem with smirking at me in a manner akin to a proud parent when they're child was the star actor in a school play.

"That was even better." Britain complimented, his face was turned to me but his smirk directed at America. "It's almost as if someone taught you-"

"I'm hungry!" America's shout cut off whatever Britain planned to tell me. "You got any grub?" America hadn't been subtle in switching the topic, but Britain didn't seem to care as he quickly became irritated.

"My food is right over there."

"Ew, dude, I'm not that hungry!" America shouted, staring over at Britain's campsite in disdain. "I'll just ask the rest of my people to bring us some real food!" America announced, pulling a walkie-talkie out and then speaking to either his army or navy.

"What?! I didn't say your army could join mines!" Britain was completely ignored by America, who seemed to be ordering massive amounts of canned burgers _(that's a thing?)_ and other unhealthy foods.

"It's easier to let these types of things go." I patted Britain on the shoulder in an attempt at comfort. Britain deflated in response, but eventually muttered, "Trust me, I am aware."

Together, we both watched with similar expressions of resignation as American army tanks started to roll in as if they been waiting just a few feet away.

 _Hetalia sure is screwy._ One section of my mind thought, and another questioned why I seemed to just now be realizing that.

* * *

Now that Britain had begrudgingly allowed America to join in his African war effort, they had settled down in what seemed to be a tent designated specifically for creating strategies in. I had joined them for lack of having anything else to do, and was now watching them trade ideas; meaning America was ranting on without listening.

"How would that even work?" Britain questioned, raising a good point.

"Don't sweat it, dude! It's going to work fine, and Germany won't see it coming!"

"What about Italy? You're plan doesn't even include him!"

"Oh, yeah..." America sounded like he just remembered there was more than one Axis nation in Africa. Then he turned to me and gave me a quick look over before suggesting, "Maybe May can walk out and distract him!"

 _Sucka say what?!_ I wasn't sure whether to take offense or accept it as a turnabout compliment.

"Excuse me?" I spoke up, hopping up form my slumped position in a chair to stand up like the other two nations.

"What? Doesn't he like pretty women?" America sounded oblivious about his possible insulting words. Though Britain, the more perceptive of the two, concluded, "I can't listen to another word! You're plan is too outrageous to consider at this point!"

Thus America prepared to retaliate, but he was interrupted.

 _What is that?_ This pulse, or vibration, rolled over me so I felt like I was being physically pushed back. I confirmed I wasn't imagining the sensation when I saw both Britain and America stumble back towards the entrance of the tent and wobble like they had been hit too.

"What is going on?!" I questioned out loud when suddenly our sole light source seemed to flicker before fizzing out and leaving us all in a completely dark tent.

"Dudes-" America was cut off when the earth started to rumble just enough to make me stubble backwards and sway a bit.

"Hn." I crashed back into Britain, and though I couldn't really see him, I felt a gloved hand, smaller than America's, land on my mid-back to help me steady myself.

"Sorry." I muttered as the rumbling slowed down. Though I nearly jumped when another hand crashed sloppily on my shoulder.

"May, are you okay?" America's voice was tinted with concern.

"Yes, I'm...fine..." I felt my words grow softer beyond my control, and somehow the room managed to get darker. And then darkness danced from black to blue in front of my very eyes.

 _Blue blue blue waves._

 _I can feel it all over, no escape._

 _ZZzzzare still herezzz_

 _The shore is gone, there is only ocean._

 _Reach out and I will find youzzZZZ_

 _Water falls away and I jolt-_

"What is wrong with her?!" Britain shouted, causing me to flinch away in order to avoid having my ears blasted by his shout.

 _I can see again._ Indeed, there was now a pale light flickering across Britain and America's face, and I could easily see the expression of concern on both faces that peered at me.

"You back with us, dude?" America looked at me with cautious hope, placing a hand on both of my shoulders in order to bring me closer to him.

"I just got a little dizzy." I wasn't sure how to explain my daydream, or daymare in this case. "Where is that light coming from?" I quickly switched topics in order to figure out what I had missed.

"It's back." Britain answered me. It was an unnecessary reply though, as my eyes were already locked on the familiar portal from long ago. Images of black and white already blurring and swirling within it before sharpening to form an image.

 _Definitely going in the notebook._ I found myself speechless while I sensed all three of us simultaneously shift to stare at the portal.

 _Why? After all this time, why is it showing up?_

 _"H-Henry, get up!"_ The scratchy, hard to make out voice, echoed in the tent.

"M-may, did you say that?" America looked flabbergasted as he and Britain stared down at me. However, I kept my eyes trained on the images that were starting to move as if they were an old movie projection.

"No, not now, but I did back when that happened." I pointed at the portal's center, causing the two nations to follow my lead and stare at the screen.

 _"W-we have to get out! Get up now!" May shouted, clearly shaken as fear pierced her very being. Her hair, appearing darker than in present day, was noticeably shorter and barely swayed as she leaned down._

 _"I'm trying!" A young man, in a uniform similar to what May wore, shouted back before hopping to one leg. The other leg was in a cast, and the groan he released as he stood showed it wasn't meant to have weight on it._

 _We can make it! May didn't appear to believe in her own thoughts, if her wide eyes and frantic heartbeat were any indicators of her emotional state. Despite the way her whole body vibrated from terror, though, she didn't hesitate to grab the man, drape his arm over her shoulder, and then rush to trudge forward._

 _I'm going to die. Lord, I'm going to-stop! Only their harsh breathes mingled while they stumbled over a piece of wall, which was one of many littering the ground._

 _I won't, I won't, I won't die like this! May kicked open the wooden door, since she was unable to free any hands, and then the two of them hobbled out. In the distance, there was a range of unformed people waving them over and shouting indiscernible phrases._

 _We're fine. Everyone's fine! May felt her eyes widen in anticipation of reaching her fellow comrades, but she didn't stop to bask in joy, and even her slumped over companion limped faster towards the crowd._

 _Boom-Clink! The harsh sound of ricocheting metal came from behind, and with honed instincts, May's head swiveled back._

 _No- The gleaming piece of metal was moving much too fast, and the collision was inevitable. Whether it was May's vision or by the portal's design, the images faded to black and white muddle. _

_Then blue overran both colors._

 _...It looked even worse than I remember._ I felt shell shocked and couldn't bring myself to look away from the portal, which was quickly fading to nothing. Yet I couldn't look away even as it entirely faded away, and the light in the tent flickered back on to bathe us in its warm, orange glow.

"That woman was you, wasn't she?" Britain questioned softly, but I still felt frozen by what I had witnessed, so I couldn't face him.

"Yes." I muttered much quieter than I had intended, with my voice near monotone.

"What did we just see?! What happened to you? America shouted, staring at me with anxiousness and confusion.

 _This isn't as easy to explain as the fireworks._

I took a breathe, ignored the fragments of memory trickling in, and then began with, "Remember how I said I used to be in the navy...until medical reasons forced me to be discharged?" I asked, staring at America. Then I turned to Britain and asked, "And remember how I told you I still had injuries that weren't healing like they should because of that frozen in time thing?" Both America and Britain blinked before they cautiously nodded in agreement.

"What you just saw is about both things because it was the same incident that caused both to happen." I admitted, thinking back to memories I wasn't exactly happy to have, though, I wouldn't consider them sad either. Truly, they were just intense memories I wasn't exactly proud of.

"When I was in the navy, I was training to be an EOD, which is Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician." I started my explanation, noting the slight shock on Britain's face.

 _He probably doesn't know about my minor in engineering either._ America did, however, though he still seemed a tad surprised over it. Accepting or not, I knew it was strange for him to hear about a woman doing such a dangerous job during the 1940s.

"I'm not sure how it works in this time period, but in my world, it takes about fifty-two weeks to get the position... Every week was harder than the last, and I can rightfully say the entire experience may have been the hardest thing I've done in my life... but it had its bonuses." I spoke somewhat whimsically. "I spent two months in the Great Lakes to practice my long range swimming. Then I went to Panama City, Florida for dive training, and I got to spend nine weeks there." The clear waves were painted like a beautiful portrait in my mind, and that aspect of my memory just made me smile.

"After that, I was really close to graduating and finally being an official member of the navy. All I had left was some bomb training at the EOD school in some cool Air Force base and everything... I was hardly able to believe I had made it." Despite my negative feelings towards my brief military involvement, I couldn't stop some pride from slipping in, probably a remnant of past feelings I had. Yet those fuzzy emotions fell apart altogether when I stated, "But things went wrong. I had been in a training session on the other side of the building while another group was training with a homemade bomb, if I remember correctly." I saw both nations' expressions darken with appropriate worry.

"Some idiot did something incorrectly, and training became a lot more serious when an explosion went off." The air grew a little heavy as the words snapped out of my mouth. "I had been near the building's front entrance, preparing to leave, when it happened. Fortunately, I hadn't been hurt when the building shook." Somehow, I maintained an icy, cool composure with each sentence I got out.

"But this guy, Henry, had been incapacitated. He was an acquaintance, who had broke his foot in a earlier training accident, and he would of been fine if he had lost his crutches during the explosion.

"I... I couldn't just leave him." The words came out fervently as I spoke, and I felt a hand curl into a fist as I fought to remain calm. "So I helped him out and we made it out fine, but the building behind us was still unstable. So it's not shocking that something ended up getting loose when more of the building fell apart. I just wish I had more time to duck before I had a chunk of metal debris knock me over." I finished up the tale, feeling my face become closed off as dark emotions stirred up within me.

"...May." America simply stated, staring at me with and expression I wasn't used to finding on his face. One was compassion, but the other nearly looked like pride, and I had no idea where that could of derived from.

"I see, that's what injured your leg and arm." Britain was also looking at me with his huge eyebrows scrunched together and empathy making his green eyes shine.

"Yeah, and my head too. Trust me, I was out for a while after that happened; long enough that you could say I was in a coma." I forced out a laugh, but it probably sounded more like a scoff since it rang so false. "My injuries were pretty bad, but nothing was permanently damaged. I broke some bones in my leg, bruised up my arm, and had to get stitches on my head. Worse part was being stuck in that hospital for a few weeks." I tried to lighten the somber mood.

 _"You should stay off that leg for at least another month. Don't try to force it to return back to normal. As frustrating as it can be, healing takes time." The doctor told me as I laid in the hospital bed with a brace on my leg and stitches on my forehead. I didn't care much for what he said though, since I was finally being discharged._

 _I was going home, and that was all that mattered._

I shook my head to stop the memory from playing out, and I moved on. "It was for the best in a sense. I don't think I really wanted to be involved in anyone's war, and the injuries gave me the excuse to leave... Everyone was right after all." I muttered the final part bitterly.

 _"Are you crazy, girl?!" My friend shouted at me, staring at me like I had lost my mind. "You look like you can barely survive gym class." She wasn't exactly the best friend I had._

 _"It's honorable and all, but you are just so smart. You can't waste such potential in a non-classroom setting." The college counselor thought I was being rash when they just knew I had been accepted to such prestigious universities._

 _"Why?" My father was stunned and he nearly dropped his coffee. My mom didn't say a thing, but the weight of her look was enough._

"Of all the people there, I received some of the worst injures." I scoffed, the self resentment bubbling up. "Even Henry came out with just a few bruises... Then again, maybe such a crazy thing happened to me 'cause I was being such a hard headed idiot." I muttered bitterly to myself.

 _Stupid girl trying to fix the world._ A nasty voice broke out in my mind, and in a sense, it was correct. I had been on the steady track to enter some really great colleges, but then I had received that little mail with my name on it and a request to do something greater. I had already been having second thoughts about entering higher education, more so because I wasn't sure tit was what I actually wanted to do with my life rather than any lack of confidence in my ability to tackle college studies. With the navy, I had been so certain I could help people much faster than spending four years in some lecture class.

 _I should of known entering the navy wouldn't help me do that_. _Heck, it even set me back a year._ I chided myself.

"No." My eyes widened at the hardened tone of America's voice. "You weren't stupid." America looked at me more sternly than he ever had. "You were being a hero."

"You should listen to him," Britain spoke up, a small frown on his face. "He of all people would know the difference." Britain huffed, and I was taken aback by his admittance. Soon though, the words allowed my confused expression to gradually melt into a smile and even my heart grew lighter.

 _That's a bit of a stretch._ I didn't entirely agree that my actions could be considered heroic, but I was proud to have my nation say such a thing. It meant a lot coming from a self-proclaimed hero like America, and was probably the highest compliment he could give.

"But that's in the past." I tried to move on before the tender moment could overwhelm me. "Right now, we still need to figure out how it came here." I tried to drag their attention back to the more important topic.

"I concur. This is the second time this portal has appeared, correct?" Britain looked at me to confirm, and I nodded.

"Maybe it just shows up randomly?" America suggested, but I immediately shook my head from side to side.

"I doubt it." America looked at me questioningly. "I don't know why, but nothing seems random around me. Ever since I entered Hetalia, I can't shake the feeling it's all been for a purpose...or it was planned."

"You mean you think a villain did this?!" America slapped a fist in his palm to emphasize his outrage at the thought. I sweat dropped at the simplicity of his thinking, but moved on regardless.

"I'm not really sure. I don't have many facts, so I don't want to jump to conclusions. Honestly, it's just a gut feeling that something, or someone, is behind most of what had happened to me, and in a sense, to you guys since my presence does impact your lives as well." I looked down as my mind went into overdrive.

"Hm, it's a possibility, but like you said, it's unwise to jump to conclusions." Britain agreed.

"'It's a capital mistake to theorize before one has data'." I took a page from Sherlock, and Britain stared at me in wonder.

"Ugh," America got fed up quickly with our lack of understanding. "I wish a sign would just come down and hit us." America shouted, while unconsciously pouting.

Yet Britain saw the familiar childish nature, and could help but chide him, "As if. We simply can't expect the answer to fall out the-" Britain cut himself off and we all stared at him with shock.

"That's so cool, how did you do that?!" America waved crazily at the giant star, which was glowing and currently embedded in Britain's head.

 _I need a break._ The madness had reached a whole new level while America dissolved back to his usual self and Britain started yelling at him to help remove the star.

I, however, couldn't move on so quickly as tonight's events continued to take over my thoughts.

 _All these strange events mean something, don't they?_ I wanted answers so badly, but I just didn't have enough pieces to put it all together. I looked up at the sky, which was hidden by the tent's ceiling, in challenge, and like America, I longed to have a star come down and give me whatever I wished for.

 _I'll get there soon enough._ I tried to snap a lid on the pessimistic feeling that I would be too late in finding my answers. Despite how no one had told me so, I just knew there was a time limit to solving this mystery.

And time was ticking away quick.

* * *

"Time does not change us. It just **unfolds** us." ~Max Frisch

* * *

 **Well, that took forever! Glad it's out though, and hope you enjoyed!**

 **Also, look forward to next week because its going to be amazing. Literally, the first idea I wanted to see my OC in was this scene and episode of Hetalia, which will be in the next chapter!**

 **I am about to put my heart, soul, and love into that next chapter!**

 **Bye for now, but I'm so excited, I might post in two weeks!**


	17. Chapter 17: Annual

**Thanks for all the lovely support! This story is the second most followed fanfic I have ever published and that means a lot to me!**

 **So I hope you guys enjoy this chapter 'cause I have been itching to publish it since the beginning of this fanfic! Trust me, with the amount of effort I put in, this should be good.**

 **Disclaimer: I own Hetalia! It's true! I mean, it only makes sense that the creator of Hetalia is a teenage girl who was like a preteen when the anime came out... Yeaahhh, I don't own this.**

* * *

 **Blur** (also known as Obscure): To make something unclear or **Hard** to see

* * *

 _January 1943_

 _I couldn't find anything._ _Dang it_! It was hard to believe I had spent an entire hour window shopping, and I had hardly anything to show for it. My disgruntled thought caused me to slam the car door harder than I should of as I exited the vehicle. Instantly though, guilt followed the action since it wasn't my car and America had been very nice for letting me drive his Betty, despite his reluctance to allow me to travel too far. If I hadn't brought up the whole "I thought you liked giving people freedom" argument then he probably wouldn't have let me go without his overprotective _(sometimes overbearing)_ self beside me.

 _At least I got one thing. It's a start._ I tried to be positive while I jogged up the front steps, pulled out my key, and unlocked the door. Walking in, the first detail that came to my attention was how the house seemed fairly silent, which was noteworthy because it was a rare occurrence when America was home. Therefore, I opened my mouth to announce my return and check whether he was still inside.

"Yo, France! You know where the Limey ran off to?" America asked casually and his voice promptly made my mouth shut. Thus I silently walked past the kitchen, though America caught sight of me and waved while sending me a welcoming smile, and I waved back.

"You want me to stop calling every ten minutes?" America had refocused on his phone call, so I strolled on to the staircase. "But then I could miss Britain, and I really need to tell him about this awesome victory that I had! ...Hey! What do you mean 'no wonder he isn't answering'?!"

 _Can't believe he's still trying to reach him._ Prior to my departure, I had overheard America get on the phone and try to contact Britain, hoping to tell him about a recent Axis defeat by the U.S. army. However, only France had been answering since he was home alone, though America had seemingly not accepted that fact as he continued to bombard Britain's house with his calls.

 _You'd think he'd have something better to do._ I thought disinterestedly while I reached the top of the stairs and walked to my room.

 _To be fair, all I've done this morning is look through windows and decide_ _not_ _to buy anything._ I let out a frustrated sigh, continuing to brew over my lack of progress. I had gone out with the intention of buying some gifts for a certain group of nations, whom had helped me out a year ago.

 _Can't believe a whole year has passed... I could of sworn I just got here._ I allowed myself to fall onto my bed, and my limbs landed haphazardly on the sheets. Then I took a moment to accept the passing of time.

 _I wonder if America might like the new comic I bought, assuming he hasn't gotten it already._ I turned lazily to the side in order to gauge the small bag I held in my hand, but I received a rather unexpected sight instead.

"Americat?!" I instantly rose up to stare down at the tan fur ball that had sneaked onto my bed. I was mildly confused about his appearance because he hadn't been around much since his injury. In fact, the last time I saw him had been a month ago when he dragged a greasy paper bag over, and revealed that there was an entire burger meal within it _(where'd he get it from?)_. At the time, I had still been angry at him for scaring me with that not exactly deadly injury. Yet when I saw his version of a heartfelt apology, as he did have to resist not eating the food before he brought it over, and I tasted bacon in the burger _(no more questions asked after that!)_ , I had let it go.

"MEOW!" America-cat greeted loudly, and I had the urge to shush him before I realized America probably couldn't hear the shout while he was on the phone.

"What is it?" I questioned, a frown crossing my face when I noted the cat's uncharacteristic stress. Oddly enough, the way he was vibrating with energy reminded me less of his typical enthusiasm and more of pent up anxiety being released.

"What's up with you?" I tried to inquire again, but America-cat merely started paw at the black jacket I was wearing before letting out another set of bellowing meows.

"I might be decent at charades, but I genuinely don't know what you're trying to tell me." I told America-cat flatly, making sure to keep my face blank in order to exaggerate how confused I was.

"..." America-cat suddenly froze after sitting on top of my lap. Staring up at me with unwavering determination in his eyes, he opened his mouth slowly.

 _Is he really going to speak?!_

"WHAT?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" America's shout caused me to jump, and the nation cat tumbled off my lap from the expected movement. Though he quickly regained his balance and righted himself.

"Meow!" America-cat shouted in outrage when I sprung up and sped out my bedroom. I hadn't intended to leave him hanging, but there had been an urgency lining the shock in America's exclamation.

"America?" I called out once I fast walked to the bottom of the staircase. However, I received no response, though I did hear him shout at someone through the phone.

"No, I won't! I can't just hang back while he's-" America was pacing the small area of the kitchen like a jaguar stalking around his turf, and the phone was clenched tightly in his hand when I tiptoed in. I was willing to wait patiently for his conversation to end before speaking, but America clearly didn't share my temperament as he shouted, "Fine, I'll do it myself!" America didn't sound whiny as he slammed the phone back in the receiver.

He sounded dead serious.

"What's going on?" I spoke up louder than usual, knowing America wouldn't hear me otherwise since he seemed to be in deep contemplation while he crossed his arms and stared off to the side. Fortunately my question drew him out of his thoughts, and he looked over to me with mild surprise.

"Huh? I didn't catch that." America apologized, sounding distracted.

"I asked you why you were shouting." I explained in concern, taking a step closer to him.

"Britain's been captured by the Axis!" America bluntly announced, and the worry shinning in his eyes wasn't hidden in the least. From his earnest eyes to his slightly shaking form, America's whole posture broadcast how he was honestly fretting about Britain's well being, and I shared the feeling.

 _Captured?! I don't remember this happening in the anime! When did Germany ever... It wasn't Germany._ Once the onslaught of concern and frantic memory searching ended, I realized that I had a good idea who had captured Britain. Unfortunately, America didn't have a clue so his panicking continued.

"Last time anyone heard from him, he said he was going to do some spying on Italy. But he didn't report back when he said he would! So the Allies started investigating a couple of days ago, without including _me_ , and they just found out an Irish spy stationed in Italy met Britain. He tried helping Britain escape two days ago, but he still hasn't came home!" America's volume got louder and louder with each sentence, and I tried to take in all the information he rapidly spilled on me.

 _Yup, everything is coinciding with what I saw in the "Can't Escape from Italy" scenes. Didn't know that guy who tried to help Britain dress like an Italian was Irish though._ I nodded to myself at the knowledge while my mind went in overdrive.

"And the stupid Allies don't want to let me do anything about it! They want to have a damn conference first and told me I had to _bleeping_ wait and sit on my _bleep_!" America's vehemence was near frightening, especially when you took in the fact that somewhere during his announcement he had unconsciously grasped the kitchen counter's edge and was using enough force on it that it was starting to crack in some places.

Furthermore, America and the other Allies scarcely swore around me. I had thought that was odd until France had cursed once, noticed I was nearby, and then had hastily excused himself for swearing in front of a lady. Hence, it was pretty significant that America has let two curses rip, though I couldn't hear them regardless, while a lady was in the room.

 _I don't have to say anything. Britain turned out fine in the end._ For some reason, the rational thought didn't sit well with me.

 _But you're here this time. What if your presence has caused a change? What if Britain won't be saved just because you exist?_ There was a certain logic in the route my brain was heading, and I had to admit, I wasn't sure I could sit around while America recklessly ran off on his own to rescue Britain.

"Then screw the rest of the Allies." I stated with conviction, pulling America from his justified fit.

 _We don't need them. He just needs me if this plan is going work._ The foundation of an idea had hit me and I was using most of my mental power to consider whether it was plausible.

"What?" America's voice was small, clearly not anticipating such a response, either because he thought I would take the other Allies' side or he figured I'd remain silently neutral like I did most times.

"I know I don't really get involved with political or military acts, but this isn't to help the Allies; this is to help a friend." I explained with determination dripping off every word. "Plus, I have an idea on how to solve this." This part was spoken more softly simply because I was less certain of it, though I didn't let uncertain show in my posture.

 _Well, Japan wasn't in any of those "Can't Escape from Italy" scenes, and I could use that to our advantage... It's going to require some drastic changes though._ I tugged myself from my thoughts when I took note that America was staring at me like he had been blindsided. However, when I sent him a reassuring grin, he slowly released his hold on the counter, leaving fractures in it, and then his frown flipped into a small smile.

"You said you've got an idea? 'Cause I was just going fly over there and kick some _bleep_." America's grin had widened at the prospect.

"As fun as that sounds," I started jokingly, "I think my plan might be less violent and a lot more thought out...but you will have to trust me a lot if it's going work." I grew serious while my mind continued to flesh out the details of the plan I was formulating.

 _It won't be hard for me to play the part. I have done informal acting practically my whole life. And if it goes wrong, I'm not exactly untrained to fight back._ My Aikido and navy training would be my back up, assuming my original strategy didn't work first.

"Sure, dude! You're my citizen after all!" America's warm tone never wavered while he reassured me. I expected that response, but I felt it was a necessity to ask since trust was a must if the crazy plan in my head was going to stand a chance against the Axis.

I smiled back America before I me stated, "I figured..." Then I trailed off as I thought about a some of the finer details I had started to work out in the back of my head.

 _I'm going to need America's help too. Doubt he would just stand by anyhow._

"First things first," I told the eager nation, who was waiting with barely concealed anticipation. "You any good at distracting?" A smirk grew on my face and I crossed my arms while mockingly appraising America.

"Dude, do you really have to ask?" America cheered right back, and resolve ran deep in his shining eyes.

 _Oh, I just might have fun with this... Yup, Hetalia has officially corrupted my logical thinking. It took one year, but it finally happened._ I knew I shouldn't reasonably be glad to run off on such a potentially dangerous mission, but this was Hetalia for goodness' sake.

Crazier things had certainly happened.

* * *

"Maaaaayyy! Are you done yet?!" America cried out for what felt like the hundredth time. I gritted my teeth in response while I viciously scrubbed my sopping wet hair over the sink I was bent over.

"You do realize every time you interrupt me, it makes this take longer!" I shouted back, lifting my chin slightly to lower the chances of having my voice muffled by the bathroom door.

"But you've been in there foreveeeer!" America's voice, despite coming across slightly muffled, was comprehensible enough to cause my scowl to deepen.

"For crying out loud, go stock up the plane or something!" I shouted even louder than previously, making sure my irritation was clear from the angry undercurrent in my voice. Then I waited a beat for a possible reply, but when none came, I returned to rinsing out my hair.

 _Okay, this should be enough. Not that I have anymore left to use anyway._ I tried in vain to squeeze out more hair dye remover into my hand, but nothing except squeaks escaped from the bottle.

 _Plus I've washed it six times, so frozen in time or not, nothing should remain._ I turned off the sink while watching streams of multiples colors drain down with the water, and a part of me felt remorseful.

 _I got to wear that hair dye a lot longer than I planned to anyway._ I had maintained the same hairstyle for a year, when it would have only lasted a couple months at best if it hadn't been for my whole frozen in time condition. However, I still sighed as I looked up to see to see my hair had reverted to its natural color and some of the waves had returned.

 _My natural hair color is necessary._ I reasoned with myself before grabbing a towel to dry my hair off.

 _But I'm going have to make sure my waves don't come back until after we rescue Britain._ I glanced at the hair straightener while I continued to dry every inch of my long, partially wavy hair.

 _I should hurry up though, before America decides to run off and ruin everything._ Realizing that fixing my hair would be the longest part of my preparation, I decided to get changed first. I quickly discarded my current attire and tugged on a pink and white concoction of clothing, which had my mother's taste written all over it with her severe affinity for all things bright and "girly" colored.

 _"It belonged to your grandmother until I came of age, and then she gave it to me." My mother explained with just the barest hint of a fond smile on her face while she stared down at the bundle of clothing pooled in her arms. "I should wait another year to give it to you, but you've always been mature for your age." She handed the folded clothes to me with a gentle precision._ I put more care into the way I treated the silk garb once I remembered its importance to my mother, despite how it was overflowing with enough flower patterns to drive me mad.

 _It has been a year since I turned nineteen, so I am technically twenty; I'm just stuck at physically nineteen._ The thought almost made it feel right to throw on the clothing, but the rightness was thrown off by the fact my mother wasn't here to share the moment with me.

 _She'd be proud._ I made sure to take my time since I recalled having troubles tying the belt behind my back. I even remembered getting one of my hands tied to my side once in my younger years, and my father had laughed at me before helping me free my hand.

 _All done!_ Now properly dressed, I returned my attention to my mirror image. I only glanced down to plug the hair straightener in and give it time to heat up.

 _Now it's just the eyes and my hair._ I pulled out the baby blue box before leaning in toward the mirror and starting to reach for my eye. With ease, I plucked out one of my contacts and laid it in the box.

 _It's been a long time since I've taken these out during the day. I don't even take them off on some nights when I forget._ I knew it was usually bad to leave contacts in while sleeping, but the brand I bought had advertised that they could be worn at night for a limited time. Also, I usually remembered to take them out at night and then put them in before I made an appearance outside of my bedroom.

 _My eyes could use a breather._ I started reaching for the other one, but then a large knock startled me and caused my hands drop away.

"Maaaayyy! I finished packing! Are you done yet?!" America drawled out while dishing out some harsh knocks to the door.

"Almost; I only have to do my hair now." I spoke in a normal tone since I figured the lack of running water meant I didn't have to yell anymore.

"What? Speak up, dude!" America shouted, and then preceded to knock on the door again like it would make me move faster.

 _Come on bro, I know you're worried but-_

 _Crack!_ America had used too much force on the last knock, and suddenly the bathroom door had splinters in it before it swung open.

"America!" I scolded, after I had barely hopped backwards to avoid being smacked by the door.

"Sorry, dude! I don't know my own...AHHHHHH!" America had looked up from the damage he had caused to the door and was now screaming his lungs out in both horror and shock. I thus swirled behind me to search for a ghost, as that was the only creature I could remember ever placing such a freaked out expression on America. However, when America continued screaming and then started to sporadically point at my face, I realized I was the source of terror.

"Hey, calm down!" I spoke frantically, raising my hands and making placating motions. "I know I look different, but it's still me!" I took a cautious step towards my nation, hoping he wouldn't react violently _(that would hurt!)_ , and was relieved when he didn't. Instead, his screaming died down to soundless words, as if he meant to respond but only his mouth got the memo to move while his lungs weren't with the program.

"Y-your eye!" America pointed to the eye I had removed the contact from. "A-and hair!" America grabbed his own hair in a frantic motion. "What are you wearing?!" America's arms went crazy and flew everywhere as he tried to motion to my entire body.

 _I should of known he'd react like this, but he wasn't supposed to see me until I was done_. With only one contact in, it appeared I had one light blue eye while the other was its natural medium brown. In addition, my hair had lost all of its fake coloring, leaving me with the dark brown hair I had been born with. Plus, I doubted I looked like my American teen self when I had traded jeans and a t-shirt for a colorful kimono.

"America, I don't have time to explain right now." I kept my voice even and persuasive while my country still stared at my like I was an alien, and unfortunately, not the type that looked like Superman; more like the "take me to your leader" kind. Thus, I tried to remove that look from him by saying, "I'll explain this on the plane ride over. Just let me finish doing my hair and we can go rescue Britain, alright?" I slowly reached out and placed a hand on America's shoulder while sending him the warmest smile I could manage.

 _It's still me!_ I tried to convey with my eyes while America stared back at me with eyes still too wide to be considered normal. Though my smile became more genuine when America's freaked out expression timidly lessened into a neutral one.

"Okay, but it better be good." America tried to sound confident, despite how he was continuing to appraise my brown eye with apprehension.

"I promise it will be." I pulled my hand back. "Now wait for me in the plane; this shouldn't take more than thirty minutes." I turned back to my mirror image and grabbed the now hot and ready straightener. I didn't bother trying to close the broken door, but I attempted to ignore how America continued to blatantly stare at me while I started to straighten my ends, which were the main section of my hair that had reverted to curly.

Yet a tension certainly left me when I saw America shuffle away in my peripheral vision.

 _Now I can concentrate._ I glanced down at the pink ribbons lying on the sink counter while I felt heat warm my neck as my ironed hair fell onto it. With a grimace, I continued the process until I got through all the wavy sections.

 _I don't know which is worse, the pink ribbons or this._ I reluctantly lifted the scissors up to the front of my hair.

 _I'll have only one thing to say when I find Britain..._ I hesitantly trapped a part of my brown locks inbetween the scissors sharp edges.

 _You._ _Snip!_

 _Owe._ _Snip!_

 _Me._ _Snip-snip!_

* * *

"..." I kept my eyes trained on the clouds in front of me, resisting the urge to squirm.

"..." America was not doing the same, and his gaze was boring so strongly into me that I briefly wondered if he secretly ran around as Eagleman every night with heat vision as his super power. Despite how it unnerved me though, I waited out the treatment and hoped he would grow distracted eventually.

"..." The tension became heavier as we both remained eerily silent, and neither of us dared to broach the elephant in the room. I would of allowed the stress to increase, but I started to notice the plane dangerously dip down, and that was when I deemed the problem out of hand.

"America, watch what you're doing!" I shouted, and it took him a second to come out of his trance to realize he had aimed the plane more downward than he should of. Quickly, he pulled up the plane to straighten it out and return it to the proper course.

"Sorry." He mumbled lightly, forcing his eyes to remain on the sky. Yet, as if it were beyond his control, every few minutes his face would turn and he would glance at me.

"Is there something you want to ask me?" I questioned, realizing I didn't want to die in a terrible plane accident so I needed to get America's brain off of me.

"Huh? No, I... That's really just a thing they do in your time?" America pointed at my eyes again. It seemed that was the main change he still wasn't over yet.

"Yes," I sighed. "It's like the hair color thing. People like to change up their natural appearance and putting on contact lenses is another way to do so." I reiterated, praying the words would finally stick in America's head.

"...It was never real." America was muttering in awe more to himself than me, so I kept quiet. I understood his bewilderment to an extant since I couldn't recall ever taking off my contacts while we shared a tent together, as it was more often than not forgotten in the rush of chasing the Allies on their missions, and I always put them on before I walked out of my bedroom when we're at home. Also, the complete concept of having something realistically conceal natural eye color probably seemed more creepy than fascinating in a time period where no such thing existed.

"And your hair...style was taught to you?" America wanted to confirm all I had told him, as if it had never quite gone in the first time.

"Yeah, you could say that. Honestly though, practically everyone knows this stereotypical Japanese look." I stated with a shrug. I was certain that the hairstyle was another reason America was thrown off, as it too had dramatically changed my appearance.

 _I barely recognize myself._ I currently wore a bowl hair cut in the front, which unfortunately meant some bangs had to be trimmed _(I'll miss them forever!)_ and the rest of my hair has been forced into two tight buns; one on each side of my head. Said buns each had a pink ribbon holding them in their form.

 _Even purple would have been better._ I silently was disturbed by the bright pink colors adorning my hair, and I knew America felt similar since he has gone back to staring at me.

"I think I'm going to go practice my role." I excused myself, rising up out of my chair when I noted that America seemed unable to cease his incessant gazing. Yet I continued to value my life, so I hoped removing my self from the area would help him focus better.

 _It's too bad this isn't his plane. I can barely move in this place._ America had decided to leave behind his usually passenger plane because while it was more spacious, it lacked the speed that our current plane held.

 _I actually think it might be that one America showed off to Britain in that episode where Britain got drunk._ It would be ironic that the plane America had intended to beat Britain with would now be his mode of rescue.

 _And something tells me he wouldn't be happy even if it wasn't this plane._ Britain was going to have to squeeze into the limited backspace since I and America were occupying the sole two seats in the plane, and it was crowded enough with the few supplies and luggage we had placed back there.

 _I could try cleaning up so we don't have to scramble when Britain gets here._ I reached out for America's large bag first and grasped it.

"Meow!" The cry startled me into releasing the bag as if it had spontaneously combust.

"Ameri-bro?" I cautiously opened the flap of the bag and soon saw a tan, furry head pop out to stare at me. However, his eyes quickly grew in size and I was certain he was about to scratch at me until I spoke up.

"Oh, man." It had just occurred to me that the cat had completely fallen from my thoughts in the rush to save Britain. "I'm so sorry; I totally forgot you were trying to tell me something yesterday." I spoke emphatically, though I kept my voice low as to not catch attention from America. If he caught any sound from me, I hoped he would dismiss it as me practicing my speech while I would be disguised in Italy.

"Meow-meow." The cat spoke causally, and I knew it was him letting the matter go. Thankfully, he now seemed to recognize me from the tone of my voice though he wouldn't look away from my eyes. Apparently, it was the most shocking aspect of my original appearance.

"...It's Britain-cat, isn't?" The reason for the cat's former agitation dawned on me while I gave my nation cat a reassuring pat on the head. I hoped my familiar touch would also prove to him how it was me behind the disguise. "I guess we've got two Britains to save." I told the feline, causing him to stare up at me in what resembled fierce resolve.

"And if you want to help,"

"Meow!" America-cat shouted in agreement.

"I think you should stow away in my bag; I'll be the one in the heart of Italy." I explained, and the cat hopped out of America's bag in response. Then I tugged mines over and opened it up. I shifted a couple of objects like my notebook and bandages to make room for him. Without preamble, America-cat leapt headfirst in.

"Maybe you shouldn't-"

"Meooow!" The cat equivalent of an "ouch" rang out when America-cat hurt himself by diving in the shallow end of the pool and probably colliding into the canned food within the bag.

"Cat like human, I suppose." I sighed, shaking my head in exasperation.

 _The Britains have three Americans coming to rescue them... Oh, the horror._

* * *

"I don't know, May. Maybe it would be better if you waited..." America trailed off when he noted the stern glare I was sending him.

"So you're worried that a girl who has used martial arts for over a decade and trained in the navy can't handle herself?" I protested, making sure every word was spoken with a certain vindication. "For your sake, I hope your having second thoughts because I'm your citizen and not because I'm a woman." My voice had quieted to achieve a whole new level of warning.

"It's not that! I don't know why, but I almost feel like it should only be me out here." America muttered, a small frown gracing his thoughts.

 _Wait a second, he can't really tell these episode scenes won't be going exactly the same way it should since I'm here._ For a moment, I had the absurd idea that America, Captain Oblivious, might be able to sense on a subconscious level that today wasn't exactly going as it was intended to occur. However, I hurried to dismiss the notion as there were too many questions involved around it, which I didn't have time to dwell on in present day.

"Regardless, you seemed fine with it yesterday and on the ride here. Plus, we don't have time to change it." I spoke with concealed fury underlining my reasoning tone, but America wisely caught on to my aggravation.

"I know, dude! But if Germany catches on, he could-"

"That's what you're there for, remember?" I brought up, making myself stand taller to emphasize my certainty. "I only have to spend like five minutes with Germany, while you have to spend hours with him. Really, I should be asking _you_ how safe you will be." I made a decent point, and America knew it, which is why he allowed me to continue.

"Plus, I'll mainly be focusing on Italy and I'll never forgive you if you claim I can't handle him of all the Axis nations." I crossed my arms and challenged America with my eyes; daring him to say I couldn't do it.

Fortunately, he merely gave a sigh that resembled my own whenever I gave in to America's childish whims or gave up on trying to deter him from a reckless course. "Alright, May." America conceded, and then he sent me a stern expression that I hadn't been certain he was capable of making since it was such an adult look. "You better be here in two hours, 'cause if you're a minute too late then I'm coming after you!" America shouted while wagging a pointed finger in my face, and the "young lady" could be heard at the end of his sentence despite how it wasn't verbally added to his shout.

"Yeah, I know." I waved off his concern, but then pulled him for a quick hug to show I really took in his words. "You be careful too or I'll force Britain to save your sorry self." I released America, though he did the same much more reluctantly.

"As if! The hero can handle any villain thrown at him!" America concluded with bravado, and then he turned away from the plane, which we had landed in a section of a forest that wasn't too dense. We had needed to make sure the non-Axis vehicle wouldn't be spotted before Britain was found.

"Don't have too much fun now!" I tossed back, also turning away and heading away from the plane. Hence, I ignored the sensation of sky blue eyes watching my form leave to join the Italian population, which was merely some feet away.

 _You got this girl!_ A part of me cheered as I took my time to leave the forest and enter the Italian city or town. On my way there, I checked over myself in a nearly paranoid fashion, similar to a nervous girl going on her first date. However, sooner than I wanted, I found myself walking on a cobbled road beside a few citizens walking around.

 _Don't mess up with the eyes!_ I warned myself, making sure to keep my eyes squinted just so. My eyes were already naturally narrower than some people, but I made sure to squint them enough so my narrowness was conspicuous.

 _I wonder if this is how Italy feels all the time._ _It's actually not that bad._ While I did have limited vision like this, I could still make out the many stares I was receiving. I figured, like Britain, it was obvious I was a foreigner; but hopefully they were mistaking me for an Asian one.

"Ciao!" Quite a few men did more than stare and even tried to speak to me however, because foreigner or not, I was a woman.

"Smooch!" I was sent a couple of flying kisses, much to my chagrin and slight embarrassment. Though America-cat also didn't sound pleased by the amount of attention I was receiving, and he would often poke his head out of my bag and hiss with his ears flat against his head every time a man got too close to me.

"Thanks, Ameri-bro." I congratulated the cat when he caused another man to run off screaming, though it had been the man's fault for trying to pet the clearly grumpy cat while also flirting with me.

 _For a cat, he sure makes a great guard dog. Really, I think America should have been a dog of all creatures since he never acts like a typical cat._ I walked on, getting distracted from my off track thoughts.

"Meow!" America-cat shouted, causing me to look up and search for the other unfortunate Italian fellow that had gotten to close to me. However, I barely stopped my eyes from widening in shock when a streak of white and orange ran past me at lightening speed. Before I could comprehend what the sight meant, I saw a sleek black cat follow after the blur.

"Britain-cat?" I muttered to myself while the American feline in my bag leapt out and landed in a crouched position on the ground. I assumed he would give chase to aid his fellow ally, but he hesitated and looked back at me. Though it took me a moment to comprehend, I realized he was wondering about leaving me alone on this mission. After all, he had probably overheard me discussing the plans with America and knew the risks that came with it.

"Go on." I urged him, making a shooing motion with my hands. "Like I said, I don't go down that easily and I think I'm rocking the Japanese look." America-cat gave me a long stare before he nodded to himself, and then he hurried off like a launched rocket.

 _I hope Britain-cat is okay._ I sadly didn't have enough time to ponder on the matter, since I was on a rather short time limit. Thus, I quickly left the area to continue my search.

 _It's got to be around here somewhere._ America had gathered information from the Scottish spy on the last known location Britain had been seen at. Also, I had done my own research by re-watching the "Can't Escape from Italy" episodes and I had examined snapshots of the different areas shown in the anime. With the combination of research I had managed to pull together, I had created a rough idea of where Britain had to be.

 _It should be in walking distance._ For once, I hadn't brought my cellphone with me _(definitely suffering from withdrawal!)_ since there was the small chance I could be caught, and I couldn't afford to allow such advanced technology to fall into Axis hands. Hence, I was basing my location on memory and how I was certain I had passed by that restaurant and shopping area which had been shown in the anime.

 _...I think this is it._ From what I could remember of the snapshots, along with the geographical information provided by the spy, I felt relatively confident the house-like structure in front of me was the one that held Britain.

"Let's do this." I whispered softly to myself. Then I took a deep breathe, walked up to the door, and gave slow, measured knocks to the wood. I waited near motionless, though fidgeting ever so often, and the in the back of my mind, I checked myself over to make certain I had the whole appearance down.

 _Creeeck!_ The door limped open to reveal the tall figure of a familiar German. One who looked taller than usual since I was purposely not standing straight for the sake of the disguise.

"Hallo? Who are you?" Germany's stern voice was tempered by the confusion and mild surprise evident in his pale blue eyes.

"I am Amaya Kuzuco." Every ounce of voice resembled a stereotypical Japanese accent, so much that I reminded myself of Nyotalia's Japan while I bowed low. "I am here to deliver message to Ludwig from Honda Kiku." I felt slight nervousness over the fact I couldn't see Germany's reaction while I prolonged my bow to really sell the part.

 _He's caught on. Leave now._ A paranoid voice in the back of my mind whispered like it was a conspiracy.

"Kiku sent you?!" Germany definitely wasn't expecting my explanation, but I kept my face blank as I fully rose from the bow.

"Hai." I nodded confidently. "Honda-san not able to come himself... He believe there are enemies watching this place, and he want you to meet him farther from city to share-" I paused to pretend like I was trying to think of the word, considering most Japanese people, especially women, didn't know much English in the 1940s. "- _sensitive_ information." I explained calmly, though I allowed my eyes to slightly wander around the area like I expected spies to attack any minute.

"Hm, this is unexpected." Germany grunted, though his expression was one of thoughtfulness as he stared down at me. "I did not know the Japanese were using women to deliver messages." Germany appraised me, and worried he might seem through my act, I made it obvious I saw his appraising manner and I hurried to shyly glance off to the side as if I had gained the wrong impression from his staring.

"Not to offend you!" Germany was quick to amend, and I jumped at his booming voice before staring back up at Germany. I had to hold back from smiling at the blossoming pink coloring his cheeks while he looked away from me in embarrassment.

"I-I know." I nodded quickly with a timid smile. However, the grin faded as I fervently stated, "Demo, I want to serve Nihon and help my home in anyway I can." I looked down to show my humble support for "my" country.

"I see. That was brave of you." Germany commended, and I looked up at him with some genuine shock. "Tell me where I should meet him." Germany switched to the main topic. Quickly, I opened my bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper, with a map to the location where America had decided to confront Germany, and I handed it to the Axis nation.

"I know where this is." Germany glanced over the map, and I stood there to await his next action. "I shall meet with him, and you," Germany opened the door wider, "Can wait inside before I bring Kiku here." I definitely wasn't faking the shock of my eyes and it was a severe struggle not to allow my eyes to widen too much.

"N-Nani? I questioned.

"As you said, it's not safe for anyone to be seen coming here if there really are spies watching us. So I must ask a woman like yourself to stay here before I can have Kiku retrieve you and ensure your safety." Germany explained with a huff, and then he waved me inside while stepping out.

"You may sit here," Germany pointed to some sofa chairs while I cautiously stepped in, wondering if this were some trap. "I doubt this will take too long." Germany attempted to reassure me as I sank into the seat.

"Arigato." I gave a short nod to Germany and he inclined his head towards me in acknowledgement before closing the door behind him. Then I waited at least two minutes before releasing a long breathe of relief.

 _He bought it! And even better, he let me in!_ I smiled to myself, glad I wasn't going to have to break in or keep up my act.

 _Now I've got to find Britain._ I clambered to my feet, almost tripping over the slightly too long kimono in my hurry to search. Since it was daytime, I found that the room was full of light but not much else. Besides the two comfy chairs, there was only a table in this area, which I had deemed the living room.

 _I'm going to assume the jail cell is in the back where no random person on the street could see Britain._ I doubted Germany or even Italy would place a jail cell somewhere that it could gain a public audience because Hetalia or not, I doubted prisoners were always treated kindly by the Axis. Thus, I walked out of the living room and hurried towards the hallway, and I ignored all the bedrooms and small kitchen I passed before turning a corner.

 _That doesn't look like the rest of this place._ While the majority of the building did resemble an average home, I noted that the walls after the corner had no paint or wallpaper on it and was merely a cement gray color like most unfinished buildings were.

 _I see it coming up._ With excitement in my blood, I ran up to the cell and then came to a dead stop in front of the jail.

"What?" I questioned to myself, incredibly confused by the lack of any nations in the closed jail cell. The only evidence anyone had been there was the huge, gaping hole on the cell's floor and in front of it.

 _Wait a second, I remember this!_ I wanted to hit myself when I recalled that Britain had apparently been kept in two different cells. The first cell was the one in front of me, which he had tunneled under before running into Germany because of his obvious Britishness. Then he had ended up back here before he had tunneled again, though the second time, he landed outside and met the Irish spy.

 _But the third time was a different place._ The second holding place for Britain was a cell that had a long hallway leading to it, which differed from the current one that was essentially a room with a short hallway on the side.

 _Please don't be a new location. Please be nearby._ I hoped to myself before swiveling around to search for another hallway. However, I caught sight of a ring of key hanging off an anchor on the wall and I snagged it with a smile.

 _This could be useful later._ Thus I started to leave again, only to merely mange one step forward before my head met a chest.

"Hey! What's going on and who-" I stared up with eyes I had barely narrowed in time, and I probably looked just as stunned as the Italian before me.

"What's a regazza doing here?!" Romano blinked owlishly down at me, and I tried to think of a way to make my own flustered appearance work in my favor.

"Konichiwa." I bowed quickly in a faked frenzy. "I do not mean to intrude. I am a messenger from Nihon-Japan." I pretended to correct myself for slipping into my "native" Japanese. "I gave message to Ludwig-san and he ask that I wait for him to return with Honda-san." I explained with a purposeful stutter and then cautiously peered up to face the Italian in his honey colored eyes.

Romano gave me a blank look for a moment, and I wondered if I had placed too many mistakes in my speech, making it incomprehensible, but then a light went off behind his eyes. "Oh, you mean the potato basta-" Romano suddenly became very aware I was a woman, and somehow reigned in his rather infamous mouth. "L-Ludwig wants you to stay here." Romano sounded as if he had never used Germany's proper nation name, let alone his human one.

"Hai. I am sorry for walking around; I was curious." I explained, willing embarrassment to blaze in my eyes. However, this endearing expression gained a reaction from Romano I hadn't exactly expected. Suddenly, his honey eyes seemed to shine and he gave me a warm smile before stating, "That is fine, ragazza! Someone as beautiful as you is always welcome!"

 _I-I forgot that Romano reacts to women just like his brother._ The warmth I felt on my cheeks wasn't planned and neither was the slightly reddening of my face, the color deep enough to show on my lightly tan skin. "Arigato; I-it's nice of you to let me stay here." I complimented as a plan formulated in my head. "I am new to Italy."

"Has your trip been nice so far? If not, I can show you some of the best _parts_ of Italy!" Romano had leaned uncomfortably close to my personal bubble, and the urge to attack was encouraged when his eyes became heart shaped, which started to freak me out.

 _Keep it together!_ Somehow, I kept my expression from becoming fearful and continued my flustered tourist act. "Yes, I really love Italy." I purposely pulled my face into a dreamy expression while looking off to the side. "My favorite section is southern region. The land is so handsome and firm!" I played up the sweetness factor before turning back to Romano. Immediately, I wished I hadn't when I noted the hearts had doubled in size and he even held some pink on his own cheeks.

"I am, I mean that's fantastic!" Romano had grown flustered, and his smile widened.

"If you like Southern Italy so much, maybe I could show you around..." Romano trailed off and I quickly took the hint.

"I am Amaya Kuzuco."

"You're name is just as beautiful as you, gorgeous!" Romano announced, taking my hands in his with enthusiasm. "And I am Romano. Now let me take you on a tour, lovely ragazza!" Romano almost led me out of the room, but I made sure to drag my feet and cause him to look back.

"T-that sound nice, demo, I can not. I must wait for Honda-san." I explained with a pouty expression, which just seemed to intensify Romano's attraction as he more than likely thought I was cute.

"Aw, ragazza, I understand. Maybe next time?" Romano tried to persuade with an unusually happy smile.

"I may not be able to come back." I forced sadness underneath my feigned accent. "I cannot go there, demo, I wish I could take something to remember Italy; maybe small thing." I tried to sound whimsical, but I wasn't certain my words worked until I saw Romano's face.

With a determined glint in his eyes, Romano gladly announced, "I will get you something! Just wait for me here and I will bring you a gift that will never let you forget about South Italy!" Romano had shook me fervently to emphasize his point.

"You do not have-" I tried to be the polite Japanese woman, but a kiss goodbye on both my cheeks silenced me.

"Ciao, baby!" Romano ran out after sending me a flying kiss. Thus I was left alone in the empty room with only my thoughts for company.

 _Dear lord, I think Romano just gave me my first kiss._ While I had received kisses from family members, I had never actually had a non-familial male kiss me so close to the lips. Therefore, I felt myself moderately shell shocked at the concept.

"MAAAOOO!" The hiss sounded familiar enough to draw me from those thoughts.

 _Where did that come from?_ The sound had definitely originated from outside the building I was in, having leaked in from the cell's barred window. Yet I knew I couldn't reach the outside world from the cell so I hurried toward the front door. The rooms and halls blurred as I ran, and I only hesitated when I had to turn the knob of the front door before jetting out.

"Where is he?" I glanced around, but I it soon occurred maybe I should of glanced down instead when a black cat ran past me, nearly running into my legs.

 _Germany-cat? This can't be good._ I gave chase, and ignored the odd stares I received from citizens while I raced behind the cat who was heading into an alley way. At first, I was worried I lost him until I walked in and saw the cat was in a corner.

 _Is that Italy-cat?_ While Germany-cat held one end of a small, brown sack in his mouth, another white cat meowed loudly and sat behind him. However, the pale, stern eyes of Germany-cat glared at the feline and his mouth opened slightly as if to chide the nation cat.

"Mao!" Suddenly a orange and white cat tumbled out from the opening of the sack, probably taking advantage of the Axis cat's loosened grip on the bag. Germany-cat jumped back in surprise and Italy-cat screeched before huddling behind his darker companion.

"Maooo!" Britain-cat growled and put his best effort to flee, though, the multiple ropes coiled around him hindered his efforts. Quickly, one of his free paws was tangled in a loose rope and he ended up flopping pathetically onto the ground. Soon, the trapped animal found himself being loomed over by an irritated Germany-cat.

 _I have to do something!_ I made a motion forward, but I stopped when a tan streak hurried past me.

"MEOOOOWWW!" The battle cry was one I had grown familiar with as America-cat didn't slow until he leapt into the air and headbutted a wide eyed Germany-cat. Said black cat went flying backwards towards a part of an alley I couldn't quite see since nearby tall buildings left that area in shadows. My feline friend then fell back to the ground and rolled a little deeper in the alleyway before stopping.

"Meow!" America-cat victory cried as he hopped back to his feet.

"Meow-meow!" Italy-cat shouted back while facing Germany's direction, probably wondering if he was okay. Though he didn't move towards his fellow Axis cat until he caught sight of America-cat, who was glaring at him with his fur sticking straight up. As expected, Italy-cat then felt very motivated to run and check on his friend if only to leave the immediate area.

"Mao!" Britain-cat, who had been squirming within the ropes, let out a loud screech as America-cat roughly nudged him onto his back.

"Meooow!" America-cat cheered, oblivious to the Brit's screeching from on top of his back, as he ran over to me.

"One Britain down, one more to go." I muttered while lowering myself to the ground. I lifted open the flap of my bag right when I noted that a black blur was running out from the back of the alley.

"Come on!" I urged, and America-cat quickly tossed Britain-cat into my bag before jumping in himself. Sounds of a scuffle and screeching ensued, but I couldn't deal with it before I started to run.

Germany-cat slowed behind me, as if confused by my appearance, before he noted the way America-cat had stuck his head out from the bag and was giving him a smug look. Thus Germany-cat gave a screech before picking up speed, and I turned forward to return my focus to running. I heard the sound of paws closing in right as I rushed forward, turned the door knob, and rushed inside.

 _Sorry, but not sorry!_ The dark feline made a rush to follow me, but I promptly threw the door in his face.

 _Thump!_ The noise resembled a heavy knock on the door. However, the pitiful meow that followed it showed that it wasn't.

"Meow-meow!" America-cat stuck his head out again, probably teasing the poor cat on the other side.

 _Americat, sometimes I wonder how you weren't born Ameridog._ I shushed him by pushing his head back down and then throwing the flap over him.

"Now both of you keep quiet until I find Britain." I muttered, hoping Romano wasn't as fast of a runner as his brother or he would be waiting for me. The concept caused me to fast walk until I ended up in the familiar deserted jail cell.

"There has to be...more." I looked to my left and felt my mouth drop open a bit.

 _I'm a kriffing idiot..._ I stared at another hall to the right of the cell, which I had somehow missed while interacting with Romano. Thus I ran past the old cell, only slowing to round a corner before I faced another jail cell.

"Just bloody perfect." The irritated British accented voice was one I had longed to hear. "The Great British Empire being captured!" Britain scoffed darkly to himself in a harsh mutter.

 _Finally, I was worried I might run out of time!_ I approached the cell cautiously despite how the closer I got, the more obvious it became that only Britain was here. He didn't seem to notice me as he seethed to himself, but I noted how he seemed to be sitting down. It wasn't until I was nearly in front of him that I realized he couldn't exactly stand up considering he was tangled in rope from his torso down to his ankles.

"Come on, old chap. You're better than this." Britain muttered, sounding despondent while a dark cloud fell over his face. Thus, I finally took pity on him and allowed a smirk to put playful twist on my face before speaking.

"I sure hope you are." I started with a mock aghast tone. Britain's head swiveled up fast enough to blur and his wide green eyes latched onto me.

"W-Who-"

"It's just a darn shame when a nation, heck anybody, gets caught by Italy." I corrected, shaking my head in mock shame before pausing to look Britain in the eyes. "But don't worry, I won't tell America...probably." The smirk became full blown while I crossed my arms to await Britain's reaction.

"..." Britain blinked at me in utter speechlessness.

"...?" He blinked some more.

"...!" He stopped blinking altogether, and his eyebrows rose to some incredible heights.

"...MAY?!" Britain shouted loud enough to rival my own country at his loudest.

"Took you long enough, you dunce." I pulled out the keys from my belt and placed it in the keyhole.

"No, you can't be! What happened to your hair and eyes?!" Britain demanded shakily as if he thought I was being possessed, but I didn't react while I threw open the cell door.

"For the sake of your man parts, I'll pretend your questioning is a compliment and not the horror it sounds like." I bent down and hurried to untie the many ropes Britain was covered with.

"May, I simply don't understand. How could you be here? And why do you look so drastically different?" Britain was so bewildered that he didn't notice how the ropes loosened while I untied the last bit on his torso before moving on to his legs.

"It's a future thing." I rushed to undo the very final knots as Britain looked prepared to question me further. "One I promise to explain when we get you out of here." I quickly amended, proudly watching all the ropes fall loosely from his shoulders.

"May-" I gave Britain a stern look that practically ordered him to get up or be left behind.

 _I cut my precious hair for you, boy. YOU. OWE. ME._ I tried to mentally send the thought to Britain, and on a subconscious level he seemed to register my impatience because he quickly rose to a wobbly standing position.

"Alright, I expect it to be good." Britain gave me a long, hard stare, and his eyes lingered on my eyes. "Now lead the way to..." He trailed off and I was grateful since my ears started to pick up the same sound he had caught on to.

"Ciao, baby! Where are you hiding, beautiful?"

Or more like the voice that was dripping with love sickness.

"Crap, he's already back." I cursed to myself and Britain gave me a sharp look of mild shock.

"You met that macaroni brother?" Britain inquired and I nodded, while unconsciously backing up in the cell while South Italy's calls grew near.

"We can't go out that way." Britain voiced my thought out loud, and I could hear worry enter his tone.

However, before a bout of panic could settle in my heart, a thought occurred to me. "Then we'll have to make a new exit." Britain didn't comprehend until I grabbed both of his hands, though I laughed inwardly when I noted the action placed some pink on his face. "Do you feel up to digging us a tunnel out of here?" I questioned, sobering up when I noted how his hands appeared scratched up and slightly blistered.

"Yes; that's what I've been doing." Britain slowly moved his hands away in a near gentle gesture. "However, it always ends up with me back here." Britain muttered bitterly, appearing despondent.

"Oh, Amaya? I want to bake lasagna noodles with you, if you know what I mean!" I felt my face heat up at the implication of the Italian's words.

 _Goodness, the 1940s sure have turned me into a softy, with all the gentleman around in this time._ I was no innocent, but I didn't recall being catcalled like that since college, which had been a year ago. Plus, the men here were distinctly different when it came to social norms, as I constantly found male strangers performing random acts of kindness such as holding open doors for me. Therefore, my emotional control was out of practice with dealing with such lewd and crude invitations.

"I guess we can still try." Britain huffed, as he fell to his knees and started to violently dig through the thin concrete and soil of the ground. Though I noted, he would look up and glare at the hallway in front of us whenever he heard Romano call out to me with more love proposals.

"Let us take our leave." Somehow, Britain had already dug a full blown tunnel that was just big enough for one person to squeeze in through. "You go first." Britain gestured, as I crouched down near the dirt tunnel.

"Fine." I agreed while hearing footsteps head over towards our location. "I just hope you know that you're paying for my trip to the salon when all this dirt gets stuck in my hair."

"Certainly." Britain muttered sarcastically, and I purposely made dust fly into the air behind me as I scuffled in.

* * *

"Where the bloody hell is he?!" Britain screeched, pacing in front of America's plane.

 _He's running late._ While I had no clue of the time without my phone, I was certain America had surpassed the one minute tardy limit.

"I don't know. He should have beaten me here." I mumbled in response.

"Well, he's isn't, and we can't board the plane until he is!" Following Britain's announcement, the corner of my eye caught movement from a place in the distance.

"DUDES!" America's shout was heard by both I and Britain, and we both turned to watch his speedy approach from the right. Though it had appeared he was miles out, within seconds he skidded to a halt a little ways past us.

"Let's get a move on!" America sounded a tad nervous, and I suddenly noticed he had a couple of purple bruises on his face.

"What happened to you?" Britain questioned, eyeing the bruise on his cheek.

"I might of insulted Germany a bit more than I meant to! Mainly his beer." America rushed out, while ripping open the plane door.

"...Are you cray-cray?! His beer is the one thing you shouldn't have mentioned!" I chided him, my fear taking cover behind anger.

"GET BACK HERE!" The roar of a German accent was loud enough to shake the trees and scare away birds. It also made the whole trio of us grow anxious when the sound of stomping footsteps got closer and closer.

"Aw, man, I thought I lost him!"

"You led him here?!"

"What the heck did you say to get him so mad?" I questioned since Germany had sounded angrier than I had ever known him to become.

"Let's get outta here!" America clambered into the plane and I followed, but I was shocked to find I had trouble getting in, and so did Britain.

"What is this?!" Britain demanded while I couldn't help except gaze around the space in awe. It was rather shocking to return to the once empty space and find that nearly the entirety of the area, excluding the chairs, was filled with crates titled "canned food".

"I kind of got hungry and made a run in town to grab some food!" America hastily explained, scrambling to tug out a thick piece of rope from under the crates.

"This is the worst rescue ever!" Britain exclaimed, grabbing his hair in frustration.

Yet my eyes lingered on the rope as I stated, "It's about to get worse." America ran over to Britain and preceded to hastily wrap the rope around his waist.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Britain screeched as America shoved him outside and tied one end of the rope to the underside of the plane. Then he tugged me further into the air vehicle.

"America, this is insane. We can't make Britain hang outside while the plane's flying." I tried to protest.

"WHAT?!" Britain, overhearing my statement, started to pry at the ropes.

"It'll be fine!" America took a seat in the front to steer, but I hesitated.

 _Maybe Britain can squeeze in next to me. He's not that big-_

"YOU!" Germany was just a few miles out and he was gaining on the plane. At the rate he was going, he'd be on us within half a minute.

"Let me in here, America-" I slammed the door on Britain, who stared at me like a gaping fish. I looked apologetically at him and shrugged before backing up. Quickly, he started shouting, though I just motioned to my ears as if I couldn't hear him before fleeing to my seat.

 _Sorry, bro, but I ain't dying over fifty years before I'm born!_

"Take off!" America announced before bursting into triumphant laughter. Then the plane rolled forward before it descended up.

"AHHHHHHHH!" The scream made me wince in sympathy as I looked down at the window. Though the guilt was dampened when I saw Germany waving a fist from below us and I realized we had literally escaped at the last second.

 _He's looking!_ By chance, Germany's eyes locked on to mines when he finally gave up on glaring at America. Immediately, his eyes widen and my expression probably matched his before I realized I was completely safe in the plane. Thus, I sent him a wink though I wasn't sure he could see it as he became a small dot below us.

"Is he okay down there?" America had calmed somewhat from his joyful laughing, and remembered that there was another nation dangerously swinging below us.

"What type of rescue is this?!" Britain screamed, answering the question before I could. Then more screaming came from him and I occasionally caught sight of his flailing limbs as he swung around.

"We're not leaving him down there the whole time, right?" I asked with concern.

America's sole was response was more wholehearted laughing, as the adrenaline of our victory hit him.

 _Okay then._ I shook my head in exasperation but then I felt a large bump hit my side. I glanced down and realized my bag was moving and screeches were coming out.

 _Oh yeah!_ I threw open the flap, grateful America's laughing fit would cover up any noise the cats would make.

"Meow!" America-cat shouted, hopping to the floor and then striking a pose so his brown fur collar was puffed out and I even saw the American flag briefly wave behind him.

"Mao!" Britain-cat screeched, tumbling out of the bag as he struggled with the ropes around him. However, I caught him before he could fall out of my lap.

"Hold still." I had some trouble freeing the feline since he kept squirming, and I was grateful when I pulled the last knot free if only to stop having to play tug of war.

"Maaaooo." Britain-cat hissed and glared darkly at America-cat while he leapt to the ground, glad to escape my grasp. Yet, America-cat simply happily hopped in circles around him, and from the way Britain-cat's ears flattened in irritation, I could tell America-cat was probably retelling his daring rescue of Britain-cat in his own fur ball way.

 _He needs a break too._ I myself was growing mentally weary as all I had done today finally hit me, therefore I shared the recently saved cat's pain, and decided to help.

"Hey there, hero." I called out to America-cat, and he grew silent when he stare over at me. "I think someone as brave as you deserves a special treat." I dug in through my bag and yanked out a can of tuna. "Belly rubs are included." The last announcement was unnecessary as America-cat eyes had already lit up and became star filled while he hopped onto my lap. Britain-cat, seeing the escape I was giving him, took it and started to walk towards the back.

"Hey," I called out to him as I idly laid the opened tuna can on my lap so America-cat could inhale it. Then I craned my neck to look back and stared at the Brit of a cat who warily glanced back at me. "Here." I laid a second opened tuna can on the ground and lightly chucked it toward him with my foot.

Britain-cat stared back at me with a taken aback twist to his whiskers and he repeatedly glanced at the can that landed in front of him and then back up at me.

"You probably haven't been fed properly for a while. So eat up!" I cheered while sending him a smile. In response, Britain-cat kept his eyes trained on me even as he bent down to grab the edge of the can with his teeth. He thus dragged it farther back to eat in privacy, but before he looked away, I saw him nod appreciatively in my direction.

"HAHAHAHAHA! WE TOTALLY SHOWED UP THE AXIS!" America cheered, clearly stuck in his celebrating moods.

"LAND THE BLOODY PLANE ALREADY! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME, AMER-" America "accidentally" made a sharp turn and Britain's shouting fell back into wild screaming.

 _Goodness, one year and there still just as crazy as when I got here. Heck, maybe they're even crazier._ I listened to the chaos with a fond smile on my face as I absentmindedly rubbed America-cat who was gorging on the tuna. Britain's screaming faded along with America's cheering while I fell into my thoughts.

 _All's right in the world, and I can accept that._ In some twisted way, it was only when Hetalia was at its most chaotic that I felt certain everything would be fine.

"HAHAHHA! HAHAHAHA!"

"AHHHHH! AHHHHHHHHH!"

"Meowrrr."

I listened to the hum of the engine and decided to add my own piece.

"Happy Anniversary, Amaya." I whispered to myself and I closed my eyes to rest them a bit.

 _One year down, who knows how many to go._

The thought wasn't as troubling as it should of been.

* * *

"Work is **hard**. Distractions are plentiful. And time is short." ~Adam Hochschild

* * *

 **Yay, it's out! I have been waiting nearly ten months to publish this and it was such a treat to write.**

 **Anyway, next chapter will be a bit more mysterious, but comedy is always around with these crazy characters!**

 **Bye nows!**


	18. Chapter 18: Wave After Wave Part 1

**So I'm stuck on a bus and I won't be home for seven hours. Might as well do something useful and contribute to society... AKA I'm writing this chapter.**

 **Sorry for the long wait, especially since I now have over 90 followers, but this entire chapter ended up being longer than I anticipated so I had to split it in two. Now here goes part one; I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia at this date and time... But things can change ;)**

* * *

 **Dawning** (also known as Daybreak): The first appearance of light in the morning followed by **Sunrise**

* * *

 _February 1943_

I blinked.

A hue of dark blue, bordering on black, and the scattered cluster of lights eventually came into focus.

I blinked some more, and then again, until my eyes adjusted so I could properly view the night sky.

"W-where am I?" I croaked out, and for reasons I couldn't discern, I sounded out of breathe and anxious. Furthermore, I could feel myself shaking and my heart beating wildly like I was on the verge of having a heart attack.

 _Why am I so freaked out?_ I had all the symptoms of being terrified, yet I had no idea what had created this pit of terror within me.

 _Calm down and think._ I took a couple of huge, laborious breathes and stared blankly at the ground for a few moments after I realized that staring at the endless blue of the sky was unnerving me more than it should.

"Okay, I'm alright." My heart settled and the fear had passed away, so I returned to a regular breathing pattern before looking up at the night sky again.

 _Blue and unending... You'll get lost in its expanse._ For an uncertain reason, my anxiety came back so I had to lower my gaze within moments.

"But where am I?" My eyes had adjusted to the low lighting of night, therefore, I could now make out the impressions of trees, shrubs, and other plant life native to a forest, which was the landscape currently surrounding me. "And what am I doing here?" I was severely confused, and I knew my expression had to be reflecting the feeling.

 _The last thing I remember...is..._ My mind tried to drag out the memories, but my head remained eerily blank.

 _I can't remember anything._ I barely restrained myself from falling into a panic at the realization, and instead, I rationalized that trying again would be a more productive course of action.

 _I was...on a plane._ The memory was scratchy and more blurry than solid, but I didn't complain as it gave me a starting point.

 _"May...we'll be there in like... Dude-"_ The scrap of a memory barely reached my conscious thoughts, but I clung to it desperately.

 _"-can't wait to track...Germa-"_ However, the fragment soon escaped me, so I attempted to remember more of the memory.

 _Ah!_ I was hit by a tidal wave of dizziness for my effort. Hence I emptied my mind of thoughts and forced it to go blank. Then I kept it blank for a few seconds before I decided to try to decipher my recent discovery.

 _So I was on a plane with America... And we were headed wherever here is?_ I scanned the surrounding area with blearily eyes, hoping to find a clue somewhere in the trees or sky.

 _Did something go wrong? Was there an accident?_ Unfortunately for me, being from Ohio and all, I was very familiar with the history of planes. Therefore, I was well versed in the way planes used to the function, or specifically, they're lack of proper functioning back in the 1940s. Though I trusted America to always have the best and safest air vehicles for the time, I had never forgotten how in the beginning of WWII, more Air Force pilots had died in plane accidents outside of battle because of training or plane malfunctions.

 _But I'd be dead or at least injured if we had crashed._ Along with the slim chances of my survival, if the whole plane had crashed theory was correct, the lack of debris also made the idea seem unlikely. Also, I knew without a doubt I would have a panicking, near hysterical nation right beside me if we had been in such a terrible accident.

 _But I'm alone._ The dark nighttime world seemed to agree with me as not even the sound of hooting owls or rustling wind could be heard in the forest, and the typically overpowering noise of chirping crickets was unusually dim in this area.

 _I don't know what's going on, but I need to find someone. Something is just wrong with this picture._ I couldn't wrap my head over what had happened to me and my nation, but I could ascertain some facts. For one, I knew America wouldn't ever willing leave me alone like this unless he had no choice. Second, there had to be either a mental or physical issue with myself or I wouldn't be suffering from hopefully temporary amnesia. Finally, I would not find any answers by continuing to stare at bunch of trees like some idiot.

 _I know it's a bad idea to wander when you're lost, but I'm not sure I am lost._ If I knew I was simply lost, I would just patiently stay in place until my rescuers found me. However, for all I knew, nobody had any idea what had happened to me and the only rescuer I could rely on was myself.

 _Where to?_ I figured turning around from the direction I was currently facing would be for the best. Assuming that the direction I currently faced had somehow contributed to my predicament, then heading in the opposite direction would allow me to retrace my steps and return to where I came from.

 _Goodness, Hetalia just won't give me a break!_ I joked to calm myself while I trudged forward, picking up new details of the situation as I walked. This new data included the fact that I was wearing loose black sweats, a blue long sleeve, and tan boots; the shirt and pants being my nightly clothes for the colder seasons. Also, my dark brown hair was loose and hung in large waves that framed my face, which contradicted my clothing assessment because I normally put my hair into a bun before I went to bed at night. Being in my nightly clothes had led me to believe I had been preparing for bed before I had ended up in this forest, but my hairstyle and the footwear accessory told me I had been ready to face the day.

 _There's one other way to test this._ I stopped in place, pulled out one pointer finger, and slowly poked one of my open eyes.

 _Definitely still wearing contacts._ I had felt the soft gel of my blue contacts rather than stinging eye irritation from the sudden touch. Thus I started walking again as I gathered the data together in my head.

 _So it's definitely night or early morning, and late enough that I was somewhat prepared for bed before...whatever happened happened._ It was frustrating and unnerving to have so many unknowns. Yet, I simply couldn't seem to figure out what was going on. Fortunately, my frustration cooled as I stomped forward past hedges, shrubbery, and other greenery for a few minutes in silent contemplation.

"..." It was oddly uncomfortable to hear nothing except chattering crickets, my own thoughts, and the crunch of my shoes against leaves. While I valued the times I had in silence, due to my own quiet nature, nothing quite felt right without a familiar American shouting, whining, or spazzing out beside me at regular intervals.

 _America... I hope I can find you soon._ A frown tugged at my lips and my shoulders slumped while I slowed in my traveling.

 _Clank-tick!_ I started as the unfamiliar sound mixed with the light pressure of a small object hitting the tip of my boots.

 _Claaaaank._ I calmed as I watched a metal can roll to the side and realized that I had accidentally stumbled upon it. I sighed with some relief while I stared down at the little can, my eyes gradually viewing it more clearly in the darkness.

 _Hold up...that's an army ration._ My eyes widened slightly as I crouched down to examine the can more closely, and make certain I truly was seeing the initials of the U.S. engraved onto the metal.

 _"What is this?!" The angered British voice demanded. "You don't need nearly this much food...only here for a few day-"_ The memory was coming in rapidly, and I was unprepared to soak it up all at once.

 _"But dude, this is my food for today! ...rest is in the plane!" America cheered with three crates of food in his arms, while I only carried two and smiled with exasperated mirth as the two began their usual form of communication._

 _"You brought more?! America, what is wrong with y-"_

The broken up memory cut off abruptly, but I was grateful since the onslaught of remembrance had left me with a slight case of vertigo and I had to place one hand on the ground in order to steady myself.

 _B-Britain was here too... The plane landed fine and then we met Britain at his encampment before heading to ours._ I cautiously rose from my crouch while rubbing my forehead, as if that would chase off the slight ringing in my cranium.

 _America came to help Britain with the war effort. We're in Europe again._ The details came back sluggishly, which was nice since too much too fast would probably overwhelm my brain.

 _They're confronting the Axis, specifically Germany's army._ I gleaned that information from the back of my head before I felt the details come to a halt. Suddenly the past stopped flowing into my mind and the rest of the facts were lost again.

 _Great, I remember the past few days...but not today._ I controlled the impatience cropping up in my soul, and reasoned that a full explanation was coming soon.

 _What could have led me, all alone, to the middle of the forest?_ _I couldn't have been kidnapped, right?_ I continued my walking while pondering the current issue. However, I soon dropped the theory I had been forming, as I didn't think it was reasonable for my kidnappers to take me and then abandon me; as it sort of defeated most kidnapping purposes when one no longer had the hostage with them.

 _So let's think back. I remember arriving and settling in to my tent._ For once, America had managed to get me my own private tent so we wouldn't have to share. Though I recalled the tent had been close neighbors with his.

 _We've been here for roughly two days. Nothing happened the first day really, and today I sort of just hung out. I read some books, practiced my Aikido, and ate dinner with America..._ After sunset, I was completely blanking on my afternoon events as I couldn't even recall getting dressed for the night.

 _It's too bad I probably put my phone up for the day. I might be able to figure out where I am with it._ I normally tucked my phone in my backpack once I was ready to get some shut eye. Unfortunately, my usual routine for the device was proving a hindrance as I wandered to the edge of the forest. Glancing around, I noted that my surroundings were thinning out and trees were gradually showing up less.

 _I hope that's a good sign._ While coming to a clearing may have been positive signal if it turned out to be America's encampment, I had no true idea of my location and I could of been heading to the edge of a cliff for all I knew.

 _Hard to make out anything._ Even with my eyes adjusted, the trees were hardly more than large shapes I wanted to avoid walking into. Thus I often stumbled upon unseen fallen branches or shrubs on the ground since it was hard to lookout for trees while also maintaining a lookout for my feet, so I wouldn't trip. Knowing my lot in life, I would sprain my ankle and be in more trouble than I already was if I didn't remain cautious.

 _Keep positive. Something else is bound to come up._ If I didn't find anything in the next ten minutes, though, I promised myself to pause and think of another plan.

"Who knows, America could be looking for me too." No longer able to handle the silence, I spoke without restraint and I couldn't tell if I had shouted or my voice sounded loud because my ears had adjusted to the nearly silent forest.

 _Snap!_ The unexpected crack of a branch made me jump and swivel to face the source of noise. Though the shadowy figure standing scarcely a foot behind me is what truly pulled out the navy girl in me. I threw my fist forward with hardly a thought given.

"Ah!" The very human cry of surprise caused me to halt my fist merely an inch from what I could discern as the person's nose, though it helped that the person had arched their self back to avoid my punch.

"Wait," The person had stepped back onto a rare area of the forest where some streams of moonlight were flowing down onto it. "Britain?!" I felt a smile stretch across my face while I stared into the wide, earthy green eyes and took in the army green uniform.

"M-may?!" Britain's previous expression of shock intensified into astonishment as he righted himself. "I've found you!" If I hadn't been so full of euphoria myself, I might of thought it odd how near giddy and relieved Britain sounded.

"Are you alright?" Britain near demanded, placing a hand on each of my shoulders and drawing me closer into the lighted area he was residing in.

"I-I think." I was still trying to process how I had stumbled upon a familiar face while Britain examined me from head to toe before resting his gaze on my face.

"You don't appear to be injured." Britain muttered more to himself than me as his eyebrows drew together in concentration. He stared a bit longer and then his eyes gained a dangerous gleam while his grip tightened on my shoulders.

His actions caused me to feel trapped as he pinned me with a stern look, one reminiscent of my parents' rare expression of displeasure, and he shouted, "What did you think you were doing?!" The screech echoed in the quiet of the forest and l thought I might of seen some birds fly off at the sudden disturbance.

"What? I-"

"Why would you run off without telling anyone?!" Britain's chest heaved as he started to breathe heavily in exertion of yelling. "Do you know how much I- America was worried about you?" Britain screeched, and by now, I felt uncomfortable with his tight grip on my shoulders, but I was too stunned to mention the slight pain.

"Well? Don't you have anything to say for yourself?" Britain demanded, his face deepening in its red hue as I remained mute.

"I... I don't know what to tell you." I squeaked out, my voice sounding like a milked down version of my normal tone. Then a hush fell over us, and Britain's harsh breathing was the only noise to fill the air after my admittance.

"Tell me you have a good reason for what you put me through tonight!" Britain interjected while he searched my face, as if that would provide him with the story he needed to hear. However, his grip subconsciously tightened again and I briefly grimaced at what was sure to form bruises. Britain noticed the action, and glanced down at his hands on my shoulders with momentary blankness before his eyes doubled in size.

He immediately released me, even pushing me away slightly, before quickly whispering, "Sorry," Britain sighed a bit, but I couldn't find my voice to tell him there was no need. "I lost control." Britain mumbled, almost ashamed as he stared at me with regret.

"I know, it's fine." My tone lacked confidence, but I hoped he would blame that on my current state of shock rather than my reassurance being a lie.

"I'm simply... Why did you leave?" Britain questioned, his voice softer and more desperate than I expected. However, I could only look off to the side and pause to regain my bearings before attempting a response.

"I don't know. I can't remember a thing." I finally spoke up, giving Britain a serious stare.

"What do you mean by that?" Britain's voice was colored by uncertainty and worry.

"I mean that I can't remember." My voice was stronger, and the waves of relief that came from finally being able to tell somebody about my problem were refreshing as they hit me.

"Nothing of tonight?" Britain asked for clarification, his left hand twitching and body language almost shouting how he wanted to examine me again.

"Exactly. I can remember everything before tonight, but after having dinner with America, I can't remember a thing." I completed my explanation gently, more worried about Britain's emotional state than my own since he appeared so frazzled. With his hair resembling that of someone who recently got out of bed and his uniform appearing rumpled, as if he had thrown it on in a hurry, I started to wonder what exactly I had put him through tonight _(or is it early morning?)_.

"We should go." Britain concluded after a beat, and his hand finally gave in to his desire as he grasped my arm.

"Back to the camp?" I wondered, feeling the urge to sink into the ground from relief as I imagined the sensation of security I would have there.

"Yes, I need to let them know I found you." Britain was abnormally monotone and near absentminded while he started to steer me in the direction I had originally been heading towards.

 _I was right! I had been going in the right direction after all._ A small smile graced my lips as I admired my small accomplishment. Though it dulled a bit as my eyes latched onto the frown Britain had and the tense way he had been holding himself since I told him I had some amnesia.

 _But why did I leave the camp in the first place?_ The thought sobered me, and I felt my brief smile diminish into a tiny frown.

 _Something is wrong._ As no answers were forthcoming from myself, Britain, or the trees, the idea reverberated in my head.

"Britain?" I spoke up, attempting to ease the tension as he hurried us on in silence.

"Hm?" Britain grunted without sparing me a glance, more than likely also lost in thought.

"How long have I been gone?" I hoped the information would reassure me somewhat. Though I didn't expect it to cause Britain to slow to a halt and then turn to me with an expression of worry.

He paused, as if considering not telling me a thing, but then he nodded to himself. "May, it's four in the morning and..." Britain took a deeper breathe and he squeezed my arm in either reassurance or to brace me.

"You've been missing for nearly seven hours."

My heart stopped.

My mouth opened a little bit to express my shock.

"Seven?" I gasped out, and Britain nodded tersely.

"Exactly. The fact you cannot remember is why we need to hurry and tell a doctor so-" Britain continued to speak, nearly rambling, but I felt myself suddenly unable to comprehend his words.

 _Wrong. Wrong. Wrong._ The thought pounded on my brain like a hammer as if the utter wrongness of my situation wouldn't hit me unless it was nailed in.

 _It's all wrong._ An unease seemed to fill the air, the freshness of the forest fading under the strength of the tension, and my breathe quickened ever so slightly.

 _It wants you. It's getting closer._ For the rest of the walk, the unfamiliar and paranoid thought stayed with me and I felt numb to the core.

* * *

"We're here, May." Britain's voice was easily heard by me, but I couldn't find it in me to respond. He didn't seem to mind my silence, though, probably figuring I was being my typical self and not really speaking unless I could add to the conversation. Thus he continued to lead me to a tall tent, which had an orange glow emitting from within it along with the shadow figures of people moving inside it.

"Sorry, sir. We've been searching all night and we still haven't-" The voice of an unfamiliar male was the first noise I heard after Britain pulled open the tent flap and tugged me inside. Yet I could hardly focus on anything happening in front of me until my eyes caught sight of navy blue and the haze lessened over my brain when I trailed the blue sleeve up to a familiar face.

"Then we'll keep the search up until morning or afternoon! We'll keep looking for as long as it takes!" America announced, staring down at a map on a table with narrowed eyes and an uncharacteristically stern expression. He had two other soldiers beside him, who were staring at him with dinner plate sized eyes, more than likely because they had never seen America so upset or serious. America did have a tendency to be informal and cheerful with just about everyone, so his serious and demanding behavior was probably disorienting for them to see.

"America." Britain interrupted, and the two soldiers' heads shot up to stare at us since they had been too engrossed in their distressed nation to notice our entrance.

"Not now, limey." America spoke offhandedly, sounding as if the response was automatic while he continued to examine the map.

Britain's face morphed into a scowl at the jab, but he managed to keep calm and growl out, "Actually, now would be the opportune time to look up... It's not like you can read any map that isn't about you anyhow." Britain couldn't refrain from muttering the last bit.

"Yes I can!" America shouted, still not looking up from the map. A second later, though, he oh so subtly nudged the soldier nearest to him and without turning from the map, he whispered, "Its not backwards this time, right?"

The soldier hurriedly whispered back, "Not this time, sir, but-"

"And this isn't the one of Asia this time, right?" America didn't seem to know we could all hear his loud whispering.

"Um, no, it's definitely Europe. And I think you should look up, sir." The man tried to urge him while sending me a knowing look, but America merely waved him off.

"I already said, I'm not giving up until we find her!" America ignored everyone after that and wholeheartedly attempted to concentrate on the map.

"Fool, she's right-" Britain didn't have to go on as I strode up to my country, grabbed the sides of his head, and lifted it up so we could be at eye level.

America blinked rapidly in shock, but comprehension quickly came over him. "MAY!" America rose to his full height, and before I could brace myself, I was lifted off the ground and into a crushing bear hug.

"Hi there." I managed to squeeze out right before America pulled me closer to him and all the air was snuffed out of me.

"YOU'RE BACK!" America probably woke the entire camp and maybe even some of the neighboring British army men. "AND YOU'RE OKAY!" He pulled me away just enough so that I was still in his arms but far enough so he could give me a quick look over.

However, once confirming my relatively good health, he smashed me back into chest while yelling, "WHEREDIDYOUGO?! WHYDIDYOULEAVE?! YOU'RE THE WORST HIDE AND SEEK PLAYER, YA KNOW?! I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WE WERE PLAYING UNTIL I COULDN'T FIND YOU AND-" America was either speaking too rapidly, he had become incomprehensibly hysterical, or a combination of both because I could no longer follow his speech.

"Let's get out of here, dude." I barely caught the sentence of the two American soldiers whispering to each other, before I saw them flee from the tent out of the corner of my eye.

 _Jeez, why do all of the nations have to freak out their soldiers?_

"YOU SHOULD OF TOLD ME YOU WANTED TO PLAY! I NEVER WOULD OF HAD THE MEETING WITH LAME BRITAIN IF I KNEW YOU WERE SO BORED!" America was now swinging me around and I felt the beginnings of a headache forming merely a moment before my savior interrupted.

"SHE'S NOT A RAG DOLL, YOU IMBECILE!" Suddenly a hand landed on both of my shoulders and I was snagged up until I slipped out of America's hold. I waved my hands to regain my balance as I fell back down, but the hands left me briefly before grasping my arms and helping me hit the ground lightly.

"You should know better than to treat a lady so roughly, America!" Britain somehow found a way to turn this reunion into a learning lesson for America, as I had learned was typical of him.

"I wasn't being rough!" America sounded like a child defending his reasons for not sharing his new toy with other kids. "Besides, May's a tough gal!" America huffed while glaring at Britain. Then he eyed the way Britain's hands lingered on my arms and his glare intensified.

"So back off!" America had the last word, tugging me back over to him while ignoring the way Britain glared in response.

Realizing this could go on for hours between them, I decided to cut in by stating, "I'm sure you children love playing tug and war, but I'm not really in the mood right now." I stole the attention from each other and their glaring match ceased when they glanced at me. "So you guys done or do you need a time out?" I questioned near mockingly if only to emphasize how childish their actions were. Britain and America speedily looked off to the side while embarrassment flooded their faces.

"Yes, we are." Britain muttered while straightening himself out so he could return to his "gentlemanly" ways.

"Shouldn't of grabbed _my_ citizen..." America muttered, but when he caught my impatient look, he said louder, "Yeah, we're done!"

I nodded at their more appropriate behavior and then paused before asking, "So is anyone else confused about tonight's events or am I the only one with memory loss?" My lips fell into a straight line as I kept my face blank.

"Memory loss? What are you talking about, dude?" America gained a quizzical expression and cocked his head to the side like a confused puppy.

 _Right now is not the time to kawaii!_ I ordered myself, attempting to focus on the serious nature of my question.

"She means that she has lost a bit of her memory." Britain had also grown serious while he explained. "It seems she has no idea what happened to her after having dinner with you." Britain finished, sending me a look that held the barest hint of concern.

"Did you hit you're head or something?" America turned to me, and unexpectedly, started to repeatedly prod me in the head like that would help anything.

"I don't-"

 _Poke!_

"Think so-"

 _Poke!_

"Or this might-"

 _Poke!_

"Be painful."

 _Poke-poke!_

"Will you stop that?!" Britain demanded, noting the now dazed expression I held after being assaulted on the cranium. His patient waned before mines though, as I had built up a high tolerance for America's antics after dealing with them for over a year.

"It's a wonder how Americans live past age twenty if this is the best method your doctors have for assessing a head wound!" Britain continued on, causing America to glance up and glare at him.

"No, it's not!" America huffed with such "great" evidence supporting his claim.

"Back to the matter at hand," I sighed loudly, tiring of having to keep both of them focused. "Can one of you tell me what you do know? Like describe what I was doing the last time you saw me. It could jog my memory." I tried not to allow too much hope in my voice, as I wasn't certain a description would solve all my problems.

"I suppose we could try that before getting a doctor to look over you." Britain replied, nodding to me before a scowl came over his face as he thought back to the memory. "It was late afternoon, nearing sunset." Britain paused, glancing at me to gauge my reaction, but I shook my head to show how nothing had returned with that short phrase. Hence, he continued, "I was having a rather pleasant conversation with you until this fool came over and demanded you eat with him." Britain's scowl deepened as he eyed America, who made an offended noise in response.

"I didn't force her into anything! I was just worried if she stayed at your camp for too long then you were going to force her to eat your crappy British rations!" America concluded while puffing out his chest. "And I, the hero, had to save her from such a fate!" America boasted, and he sounded like such a stereotypical superhero I expected an eagle to burst through the tent and land on his arm just to prove his American heroism. As the image of such a ridiculous event lingered in my mind, I had to shake my head a bit before I ended up bursting into laughter.

 _Well, I know one thing I didn't do in those seven hours._ If my thoughts were going down a strange path, it meant I had to have missed my early morning coffee intake.

"Don't refer to my food as poison simply because it's not going to give her a heart attack like yours will!" Britain's face was quickly gaining a red streak.

"And what happened after that?" I questioned, rushing to halt the impending fight. Fortunately, I succeeded as America glanced down at me and his hero pose faded so he resembled like a deflated balloon before he decided to go on in his description.

I also noted he had lost all his previous enthusiasm while he stated, "So we had a totally awesome American dinner, and we were hanging out until Britain showed up!" America narrowed his eyes at Britain, almost as if he was accusing him for being solely responsible for my disappearance. "He dragged me over for an Allies meeting and made me leave you." America's voice died down while he ignored Britain's shouted defense.

"If I hadn't left," America mumbled, staring at me apologetically. "Maybe you wouldn't have disappeared." America's guilt was evident as his shoulders slumped and his eyes became downcast.

"Should of, would of, could of." I instantly mentioned, reaching up to give America a pat on the shoulder. "Doesn't matter, because we'll never know what would of happened. Plus, if the meeting never happening would of prevented my disappearance, Britain must own up to being in the wrong too." I added with a slight smirk.

"May?!" Britain screeched, not expecting my sudden switch to America's side. Though, I just gave him a reassuring wink before subtly titling my head to America, who was now laughing lightly instead of appearing so downhearted. Britain got the message, and still scowled, but seethed quietly while America's chuckles became full blown laughter.

"I guess you're right, dude!" America admitted, reverting to his typical demeanor and sending me an appreciative smile.

"Aren't I always?" I teased, before I returned to the problem that had yet to be solved. "Sooo, is that all the info you guys have? I just up and disappeared after that?" I asked, trying to get a full picture.

"Not exactly." Britain commented first, a thoughtful look gracing his face.

"Yeah, some of my army dudes said they saw you later." America spoke up, also carrying a pondering expression. "They said you headed to your tent, and they figured you were going to bed... It wasn't until I came back and went over to tell you how boring Britain's meeting was that I noticed you were gone..." America didn't seem to know what else to say, and the forlorn look on his face pushed me to try harder and remember.

 _Come on, come on!_ I strained to draw out there memory of me eating with America, but it continued to end in the same place.

"Have you recalled anymore?" Britain inquired after the silence hung for a stretch of time. I didn't provide an immediate response as I struggled to find something noteworthy in my memory banks.

"May?" America asked, growing concerned by my lack of response.

"It's no use." I finally muttered, rubbing a hand through my hair in aggravation. "I remember eating and hanging out with you, America, but after that it's like my mind is blank. One moment I'm eating and the next I'm in that forest and panic...panicking..." My voice trailed off and I thought America, or perhaps Britain, called out to me, but their voice didn't resister before my eyesight faded.

 _I finished tugging my night shirt down and then sat down on the bed. I was about to flop back, roll over, and get comfortable on the cot, but then I noted the muddy shoes still on my feet._

 _I still need to take them off._ _I reached down to yank them off, but my hand stopped before I could._

 _ZZZzzzYouzzz. I fell into the familiar nightmare without warning. _

_Ocean was forming and swirling._

 _Come to mezzzZZZ_

 _I was swept into waves_

 _Zzzcan't reach youzzz_

 _Waves were crushing and blue blue blue was hypnotizing_

 _You must find me instezzzzZZ_

 _Water was warm and inviting, but wrong._

 _Come tozzz_

 _No! The lone thought, of my own invention, struggled to break through the dream's grip._

 _Blue fled, ocean stopped turning._

 _NO!_

 _The water dried up and I was abandoned._

 _I sucked in a huge breathe, my body lurching up as the sensation of being trapped filled me._

 _Stay away! __I watched myself less than I felt myself spring to a stand and run. I shoved the tent flap away and ran straight into the forest edge, and I held no coherent thoughts while I fled._

 _Can't find me if I hide!_ _It didn't feel like my own thoughts that were urging me to cower, but my body obeyed regardless. I ran and ran and ran with a crawling sensation of being hunted following my every step._

 _Zzzz! __I stumbled as the buzzing returned in my brain, and I felt my body try to fight it._

 _No, no, no! __My fingers twitched, but that was the only muscle response I received for all my frantic thoughts._

 _Ocean filled and I fell back._

 _Don'tzzz no need to fightzzZZ!_

 _I won't!_

 _Waves grabbed and yanked, but I kicked and pulled_

 _No timezzzZ_

 _Blue grew, but then relunctantly dimmed to white_

 _I...won't..._

 _Ocean was no more and I smiled-_

The memory melted away with only the image, or idea, that I had defeated whatever I had imagined in that dream remaining with me as I came to reality. Sadly, whatever I had just recalled about my visiting nightmares was already fading while I readjusted to reality and left the memory behind.

 _So that's what happened._ My mind recapped the sudden knowledge so I could come to terms with it.

 _I was getting ready for bed but then one of those nightmares came, and it freaked me out so much that I ran... But another nightmare came while I was running and I was trapped in that nightmare for... Nearly seven hours?!_ The strangeness of my volatile reaction to my recent nightmares was evident, and I felt a worried frown come to me as I tried to figure out everything.

"-coming with me!" The shout beside my ear caused me to twitch, and my hand curled into a fist on instinct. However, someone noted the movement and suddenly I was staring into shiny blue eyes.

"May, you in there?" America waved a hand in my face and I stared at it before looking up at him.

"Um, yeah." I spoke uncertainly, realizing that I had apparently missed something while literally getting lost in my thoughts and memories.

"Wondrous, now it will be easier to take her to a proper doctor." Britain mentioned, and then his hand was on my shoulder and steering me to face the tent opening.

"Yeah, a proper _American_ doctor!" America grabbed my other shoulder and swiveled me around so I was facing him again.

"Proper and American don't belong in the same sentence." Britain mentioned tersely. "Besides, she needs a doctor who can do more than be a nuisance. Now come along, May." I was turned once again, and pulled towards the tent entrance.

 _Okay, this is making me dizzy._

"Stop that!" America cried out before grabbing me by the sides and bodily lifting me before planting me next to him.

"I'm just trying to do what's best for her." Britain scoffed before moving his hand back towards me.

" _Touch_ her again and you'll be the one who needs a doc." America growled and Britain's hand froze before dropping away, though I could only stare up at America. Quickly, I noted the gleam in America's eyes and I could practically hear the unspoken shout of "stay away from mine!".

Britain wasn't intimidated, though he took the threat seriously enough to refrain from physical contact and instead narrowed his eyes in America's direction.

"At least agree with me that she requires medical care!" Britain demanded tersely, and I saw America open his mouth to reply.

"Hey!" I interrupted, dragging their attention back down to me. "Doesn't anyone want to ask _her_ whether _she_ needs a doctor." I sent a stern look at both of them before crossing my arms.

"But dude, you just froze on us!" America shouted. "And you wouldn't respond to us for the past ten minutes!" America sent me a worried glance, but I couldn't share his concern as I started to ponder more.

"You mean like you and Britain did when I first showed up in this world?" I asked quietly, my mind still mulling over my recent discovery.

America, though, blinked in confusion before understanding crossed his face. "Huh, it was like that." America scratched his head as he noted the similarity.

"Yes," Britain spoke up, also starring at me as if he had just had an epiphany. "And May acted the same way when that odd portal showed up in Africa." A pattern was becoming apparent to all of us.

"That's not the only time either." America and Britain stared at me with questions blazing in their eyes. "I also had a moment where I froze the _first_ time the portal showed up."

"You did? I didn't notice that." America muttered, oddly enough surprised by his inattentive tendencies.

"Well it was only for a few minutes that time." I explained, still thinking. "Honestly, I wonder if I freeze everything those odd daydreams, or daymares occur." I was voicing my thoughts out loud rather than speaking to anyone in particular.

"Dreams?" Britain questioned. "You have never mentioned any dreams before?" Britain nearly sounded accusing as he gave me a pointed look.

"You've been having nightmares or something, bro?" America also stated at me in astonishment, and maybe some hurt at my lack of confiding in him.

"Yeah, but I didn't think they were too important." I tried to defend myself, but my voice lacked confidence and the scolding expression on Britain told me my protest was lacking. "I've been having these dreams off and on since I've entered Hetal-this world." I corrected myself quickly and then moved on to in a hurry to make up for the near slip of the tongue.

"They were more frequent when I first arrived, but now they seem to come randomly; sometimes at night or even when I'm awake." I explained.

"And what happens in these dreams? Are they freaky because they involve Britain's food or something?" America revealed his obvious nightmares of British food, causing Britain to make an indignant noise.

"No," I imposed before Britain could start on a tirade, and I felt a small smile work it's way onto my lips at the thought of a America fleeing monstrous British dishes.

 _He probably just wants to cheer me up._ I wouldn't put it pass America to try and ease my tension by insulting Britain.

Yet I moved on when I noted America was about to open his mouth again. "I honestly don't know what happens in these dreams. I always forgot what happens in them within moments of waking up."

"Then what makes you so certain the dreams are the same or even similar?" Britain asked, sounding irritated by his own lack of understanding.

"Because they all have the same effect on me." I felt my own eyes narrow in remembrance of tonight's events. "I wake up feeling disturbed; like I'm in danger...and there's this icky feeling that something wants to take me." I felt my face hardened while I attempted to hold back my own fear.

"Take you where?" America's tone was stern and his stance had lost all of its flippancy.

 _I dare it to try._ His eyes conveyed the message to me, and I felt the cold fear ebb away a bit from the warming gesture.

"I don't know, but the feeling of danger is getting worse. That's what happened to me last night. I woke up from one of those dreams and I ran into the forest to escape that feeling." My voice lowered as I felt some embarrassment over my slip of control.

"But then I had another dream that made me freeze again before I could get very far into the forest..." I trailed off as I had no more information I could provide.

"Then how did you get so far away?" Britain questioned, and I stared at him quizzically. "May, you were miles away from either base when I found you." Britain stared at me like he still believed I needed a doctor.

"I was?" I questioned, my forehead scrunching up in thought. "But I only got in a few yards at most... Unless my body kept moving while I was 'dreaming'." The new realization left me speechless.

"Wait, dudes, I'm not following!" America interjected, and I noted how question marks were floating above his head.

"Of course you're not, stupid-"

"Let's just recap anyway 'cause even my own head is starting to hurt." I played peacekeeper once again.

I took a deep breathe before summarizing, "Basically, I've been having troubling dreams since I entered you guys' world. They're pretty infrequent, sometimes triggered by these portals and other times without an apparent trigger. Whether I am asleep or conscious doesn't affect their chances of appearing. Also, all of them are the same because they leave me feeling anxious and give me the impression that something wants to take me to a destination I'm uncertain of."

"Tonight, I had another one of those dreams and the level of anxiety it gave me caused me to lose my head and run into the forest. I only got a few yards away from the camp before I was hit by another dream. Except, this time, the dream lasted hours instead of minutes. And I apparently continued moving, technically sleep walking, while the dream lasted. Then I woke up, turned myself around, and ran into Britain." I concluded and released a heavy sigh after getting all that information out. Thus silence held in the tent for a few moments as we all digested the information.

"But what does this all mean?" America asked, and worry was directed to me for what had to be the hundredth time tonight. Not that I blamed them, as I was fretting over my own well being too.

"I don't know...its just another mystery surrounding me." I sounded defeated as I dragged a rough hand down my weary face. Yet no one knew what to say after that, so I decided to speak up once more.

"Now it's probably five in the morning, so I know I can't be the only one exhausted." I started off without much energy. "Can we just talk about this later?" I allowed every ounce of mental weariness to show up on my face.

"What? But, dude, we need to figure this-"

"We won't be receiving any answer tonight." Britain conceded, looking like he wanted to know more but accepting that there was nothing more to do. Also, his own eyes were looking a bit droopy from his own tiredness.

"I hate these lame mysteries!" America groaned, the only one in out group that looked like he could keep going on. "But my head needs a break too." America agreed in his own childish way.

"Didn't know you had one considering you never use it." Britain muttered just loud enough for me to hear it.

I gave him an exhausted smirk before concluding, "Then let's just go to bed." With that dismissal, I headed out of the tent first, eager to return to my soft bed and seriously let my mind go blank. However, before I got halfway there, I felt a hand land on my shoulder.

"May?" I turned to face Britain, who's green eyes seemed bright under the moonlight.

"Yes?" I asked as Britain removed his hand just a second before America walked out of the tent and glanced over to him with wariness. Fortunately, America seemed tired enough that he wasn't inclined to do anymore except stare for a moment before he walked over to his own large tent, which was none too far away.

"You can tell me about these things, you know." Britain began suddenly and recognizing my confusion, he went on. "Just because I am no longer searching into your transportation into my world, and your eventual departure, does not mean we can no longer discuss what happens to you." Britain gave me a stern look, one that forced me to be all ears.

"You ever feel like something dangerous is effecting you due to your transportation into this world, feel free to tell me. Even if you think I can't do anything, don't keep it to yourself." Britain finished up, looking to me for confirmation. Slowly, I bobbed my head up and down while leveling a wide eyed stare in his direction.

 _W-why do I feel like I just got told off by one of my parents?!_

"I-I just wanted you to know that." Britain's face had gained a smidgen of pink as he huffed the last part. "Goodnight." He didn't spare me a second glance as he wandered to the side, near a pathway leading to his camp, and started his journey to his tent.

I stared after him until he disappeared into the darkness of night.

"..." I wanted to think of something to say, but I simply couldn't muster the energy. Therefore, I retired to my own tent, and not a single thought crossed my mind as I flipped onto the bed.

* * *

"Lost - yesterday, somewhere between **sunrise** and sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes." ~ Horace Man

* * *

 **So hope you enjoyed and I didn't burn too many of your brain cells!**

 **Next chapter will be the second part of this little event, and I can promise it will involve some action and of course, comedy. Since I already wrote it, know that it should be out in no longer than a week or two!**

 **Byes now!**


	19. Chapter 19: Wave After Wave Part 2

**As always, thanks for all the reviews, following, and favoriting of this fanfic!**

 **Also, I hope you guys are prepared for some more mystery and even some action, because this chapter is full of that! I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: My fellow readers, I don't even own the definitions at the beginning of each chapter (Webster's Dictionary does), let alone the Hetalia characters in this fanfic.**

* * *

 **Moment** (also known as Tick): The time taken by one tick of a **Clock**

* * *

"RISE AND SHINE, DUDE!" America's booming voice caused me to jump to activity. Thus I nearly pulled a muscle as I hurried to shove my cellphone under the notebook before he could fully enter the tent.

"What was that for?!" I demanded, staring up at my nation with feigned irritation in order to cover up my nervousness.

 _I hope he didn't see the phone!_ I had been so engrossed in gleaning information from the WWII timeline webpage that I had failed to hear his approach, therefore, I was more frazzled than usual by America's sporadic intrusion.

"Oh," America's cheerful grin had melted into a confused line after he noted my cross-legged position on my cot. "I thought you would still be asleep." America stared at me longer, particularly at the items surrounding the bed; such as the notebook, pencils, and the untouched blanket beneath me. "You _were_ asleep earlier, right?" America titled his head in confusion, probably putting together what was the most obvious answer.

"What gave me away?" I asked with a soft, teasing edge in my tone. "The untouched bed or the fact that I look like crap?" I asked him with a weary smile before rubbing my blearily eyes since they were starting to ache a little.

 _If I wasn't frozen in time, they'd probably be red by now._ It was an idle thought, but then my head seemed to get stuck on loop as it latched to a particular word _._

 _Red... Ninety-nineee! Red ballooons! Floating in the summer sky! ...Or was it ninety-nine luftballons?_ If I was thinking more clearly, I might of noticed I was suffering from caffeine withdrawal and my mind was no longer functioning correctly.

"Um, you're not looking your best." America's familiar voice thankfully brought me back to reality.

"Oh...thanks." I muttered distractedly, pulling myself back into the conversation. "And to answer your question, no. I couldn't sleep last night, technically earlier this morning, and I've been up ever since." I explained, recalling how I had collapsed on my bed in an exhausted heap. Yet, after remaining conscious for what felt like an eternity, I came to the conclusion that I was too high-strung to properly fall asleep.

"Then what have you been doing all this time?" America questioned, taking a seat beside me and slightly jostling my objects. Even exhausted, my reflexes allowed me to grab the notebook before it slid towards America and inadvertently leave my cellphone in plain sight. America noticed the movement, and looked down at the notebook with a curious expression.

 _Perfect, I can distract him._ Still wary that America would catch sight of my cellphone and hound me about it's many uses, I decided to keep his attention on the notebook and away from my right hand that was sliding underneath the book to grab the piece of future technology.

"Since I couldn't sleep, and it was on my mind anyway, I decided to update my logs on those freaky dreams I have." I explained calmly, my right hand moving as slow as a snail pace in order to avoid notice.

"Logs?" America questioned, glancing down at the open notebook with slight anticipation.

 _You know, I think he's one of the only people that could watch paint dry and find a way to make it seem entertaining._

"What was that?" America stared at me quizzically, and I realized I had spoken my thought out loud.

 _I really am out of it!_ I could count on my hands the few times I had voiced a thought aloud without meaning to, so I knew I was seriously caffeine deprived if this was happening.

Attempting to recover from the lack of self control, I continued, "I've been using this book to note down everything that's happened to me since I entered your world. Specifically, the events that are strange and I think are related to my transportation into this world." I explained plainly, flicking my wrist so the cellphone would slide under my pillows while lifting up the journal. Thankfully, America's eagerness to peak at the first page caused him to only notice me setting the journal on my lap and completely ignore the movement of my other hand.

"Portals?" America read the title of the open page with confusion written all over his face.

"Yeah, I don't really have much of a theory about those yet." Like America, I started to read the information on the page despite how I had looked over it earlier.

 _Portals?_

 _Definition: They are possibly rips in time and space (solid for some reason), which came about because my entrance into Hetalia messed with the natural order of time and space (my world's and Hetalia's). Since they were created due to my entrance into Hetalia, they are directly connected to me. Therefore, they always show a past event of my world that specifically revolves around myself._

 _Theory: I entered this world through something similar to these portals_

 _Theory: They were not intentionally created, but don't seem harmful to my world or Hetalia_

 _Theory: They only appear during certain circumstances or they would show up more often (said circumstances remain unknown)_

 _January 7, 1942 - First sighting (afternoon). Canada, America, Britain, and France were with me. Electricity stopped working, ground rumbled, and large noise came with it. Also, I had a brief DREAM as the portal formed. Showed a recent event of me watching fireworks on July 4, 2015._

 _October 12, 1942 - Second sighting (night). America and Britain were with me. Electricity, ground, and noise reacted the same again. Another brief DREAM came too (though it lasted longer). Showed the end of my time in the navy on May 26, 2015._

"Dude, you should be a psychic with writing like this!" America quickly scanned the page, probably not understanding most of the information. Also, he didn't question what the word "Hetalia" meant despite it appearing throughout the page, which was great since I didn't feel like explaining it's meaning as I read it.

"Assuming you mean a _physicist_ or scientist, well, I am getting a minor degree in engineering. If theater performance doesn't work out, I just might do something like that." I felt a disappointed scowl overcome my face at the thought. I held no love for mathematics, and only the fact that I was highly proficient in it along with how a career in theater performance was uncertain due to the competitiveness surrounding it, had led me to study engineering in college.

"What's this inconsistency thing mean?" America drew me back in as he pointed to the next page I had partially covered up with my hand because the terms "anime" and "episodes" had been used, and America held the curiosity of a young child that constantly asked questions.

"That's just things I've noticed that happen differently than it should." I shrugged.

"Than they should?" America questioned.

"Yes, as I've said, I saw many things of this world back in my own home. So when I see things happen to you in this world, which I've already seen happen to you in my world, I can tell when something happens that shouldn't have happened." I spoke quietly, mentally reading the words on the page.

 _Hetalia Inconsistency?_

 _Definition: When events in Hetalia occur in slightly different circumstances than they did in the anime._

 _Theory: Some episodes have been merging into one and happening within one day, but they shouldn't_

 _Theory: My mere presence in this world has caused these changes_

 _Theory: They are not detrimental to the war or the world in general (for now?)_

 _January 7, 1942 - First inconsistency (that I know of). Two Allies meetings merged into one and happened at the same time. Canada, America, Britain, France, China, and Russia are there._

 _May 10, 1942 - Second inconsistency. The Allies and Axis confrontation on island, near Seychelles, happened in another area. Also, it happened in spring instead of winter. All Axis and Allies were there._

 _September_ _11, 1942 - Third inconsistency. Three episodes happened in one day like Britain jogging-_

"You're trying really hard to get back home." America mentioned casually, stopping me from reading further.

"Yes, I am." I didn't know what else to say as I flipped through the next few pages and watched the titles of "WiFi connection?", "Why Me?", and "How/Why Transported Into Past/Hetalia?" fly by with the next to zero information or theories listed under them. I also skipped the last page titled "Frozen?", simply because that was the one page where I had scrawled "solved" on the top since I was almost completely certain Britain's frozen in time theory was correct.

"I would prefer to leave your world before...something or someone else makes a move first." I whispered cautiously like it was dangerous merely to speak of the possibility.

"You mean whatever is causing your dreams?" America questioned with narrowed eyes, his previous amazement disappearing under the weight of my implication.

"Exactly." I stopped flipping the pages when I finally landed on the one titled "Dreams?". It was the page I had been going over earlier this morning after adding last night's incident.

 _As with pretty much everything else, there doesn't seem to be a pattern to them._ I felt my mind drift to the information on the page, where every dream I had was listed with a date and circumstances surrounding there occurrence. However, despite how I had a nagging feeling they weren't spontaneous, I continued to perceive no constant trigger for them.

 _There is one trend forming though._ While their frequency was unpredictable, but their effect on me did have a certain tendency.

 _They're happening more often and growing more intense._ Not only had my dreams been occurring more often, but for the past few months, the anxious feeling associated with them had been intensifying. The fact that last night's dream had caused me to act so irrationally, despite how I often had a very tight grip on self-control, was evidence of that.

 _And they're lasting longer._ Before last night, I had probably never daydreamed for longer than about an hour. More importantly, I had moved from the spot I started dreaming from last night, and according to my record, that had never happened before.

 _It's coming to get me, and it's getting closer._ I shook my head slightly to dismiss the thought and I suddenly noticed America had been speaking.

"-do you think it means?" I heard concern color America's tone.

I mustered up a tiny, tired smile before stating, "That's the problem. I just don't know."

 _He doesn't need to know about the trend._ While I recalled America hinting earlier that he would like me to inform him of anything worrisome I found about my transportation into Hetalia, I simply couldn't bring myself to worry him. Also, the rational side of me reminded me that I wasn't sure if the pattern was an omen and America shouldn't have to worry about something that could turn out to be nothing.

"Seems like deep stuff." America scratched the back of his head, clearly not understanding the little he had seen of my writing.

"Yup." I nodded, and then I sighed heavily. "But there's nothing else you or I can do about it right now... So what was with the wake up call today?" I asked to change the subject.

"Huh?" America seemed oddly nervous, as if he were hiding something, before he mentioned, "I just wanted to check up on you."

 _I was worried you'd disappear again._ America's gaze admitted the truth, and I silently applauded how he waited until now to visit me since I was certain he had probably been itching to check on me since we had parted roughly five hours ago.

"It is almost 10 or something, right? I should be getting up anyway." I sat up straighter, pausing only to rub my slightly aching eyes. Yet, when I attempted to slide off the cot, America's hand landed on my shoulder and gently slid me back.

"Dude, maybe you should catch some shut eye." America had a small frown on his face while staring into my bleary eyes.

"No, I think I'll be fine. I just need some coffee." I tried to wave off the advice, yet a part of me wanted to obey him so I didn't immediately make a move off the bed.

"Um, you can't!" America interjected, making me blink at him in wonder at such a speedy response. "I-I drank it all already!" America concluded, bobbing his head up and down eagerly. However, I merely looked at him suspiciously and doubted the honesty of the statement.

"Well, I can go for any caffeine really. I'll just drink some cola." I shrugged, stretching my legs out so my feet at least touched the ground.

"We're out of that too!" America announced too quickly for my tastes.

Thus I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms. "Do you have a death wish, Alfred F. Jones?" My voice was a quiet warning especially since I called him by his human name, which I never used in privacy unless I was seriously angry. America was well aware of that fact as a nervous sweat drop appeared on his head. "You can't tell me you drank all of the caffeine when you knew I, and probably the rest of the camp that went searching for me, had a rough night." I went on, relishing America's nervousness as I narrowed my eyes at him.

 _He knows full well we have a deal._ After a few months of being his roommate, America and I had came to the unspoken agreement that either freshly made coffee or the materials to make a caffeinated beverage would always available to me every morning. He had learned from his mistakes after he hadn't left a single drop of coffee, only to return home and find a trashed kitchen _(I searched everywhere for that coffee!)_ and a less than pleasant version of myself.

"Um, well," America seemed close to giving up on his obvious facade, in face of my caffeine rage, but he shocked me when he confessed, "We have tea!"

"..." Entirely baffled by the response, I was briefly tongue-tied.

"You have tea? _You_?" I questioned with wide eyes.

"Uh huh! I can get you some right now if you're up to it." America reminded me of a puppy eager to please, and even without the incentive of much needed caffeine, I couldn't have denied that face.

"Sure." I mentioned, disbelief remaining in my tone.

"Awesome, I'll be back in a jiffy, dude!" America hopped to his feet and then ran out of my tent.

 _Okaaay then._ I merely blinked in confusion as I tried to take in the surrealism of America having anything to do with tea.

 _Heck, I have to beg him every week just so I can have tea a few times a month._ While mentally lost in thoughts, my body robotically cleaned up the area by slipping my phone out from under the pillow and tossing it into my backpack. Then I almost did the same with notebook and pencil, but I couldn't help except to stare at the "Dreams?" page for one more moment.

 _"Have patience. You'll figure it out soon, given time."_ The memory of a training session with my Aikido teacher was brief, yet it was so fresh in my mind that I could of sworn she was right beside me rather than a whole world apart.

 _You're right._ I felt a smile tug up my lips as I snapped the book shut and shoved it into my backpack.

"I got it!" America stumbled back into the tent, causing one of my hands to raise in an attack position before I quickly lowered it. "Freshly brewed and everything!" America cheered as he plopped a delicate looking teapot, and matching cup, on the bed beside me. I stared at the teapot quizzically while grasping it in order to endure it wouldn't fall over.

 _I've seen this before._ The teapot was strikingly familiar, but I was simply too mentally exhausted to try and recall where I may have seen it before.

"Thanks." I said wearily, pouring some tea from the teapot into the cup with caution. The expensive appearance and fragile glass leading me act so gentle. Then I slowly set the teapot on the ground far from both mines and America's feet.

"What type is it?" I glanced down at the warm, brown liquid swirling in the cup.

"Uhhh...green...leaf flavor?" America guessed.

"You mean green tea?" I suggested with an exasperated smirk.

"Yeah, that!"

"Mhmm." I made a skeptically noise before concluding caffeine was caffeine regardless, and then I took a long sip.

"It's good right?" America looked at me with anticipation the second I moved the cup from my lips.

"Yeah...it's just not the flavor I was expecting. This is chamomile, not green tea." The name of the flavor was spoken dreamily by me, and I felt my face droop a bit as the soothing warm tea spread throughout me.

"Great, now I'm going to have to rest some more. Unlike most teas, this stuff knocks me out." I mumbled.

"Yes!" America shouted in victory until he saw the pointed look I sent him. "I mean, whoops, my bad." He looked away nervously from my "I know you're up to something" look.

"You should drink that tea and take a break." America urged once more.

"It's not that I don't want a break, America." I refilled my cup while mentioning, "But I know if I try to sleep, I'll end up thinking over last night's incident instead of resting." I finished up my second cup and then set it down beside the teapot.

"Oh..." America paused for a moment and appeared to mull over some options for a few seconds.

America had a few question marks floating around his head, and I was starting to worry he might think himself into a concussion when he suddenly suggested, "What if I gave you something else to think of then?" The question marks turned into a radiant light bulb above him.

"How?" I asked, genuinely curious while warily watching the bulb fade away _(always so freaky)_.

"I'll... Tell you a story!" America thought up.

I chuckled a bit and then teased, "Um, you do realize I'm not exactly bedtime story age?"

"I know, but Britain said you liked story-telling!" America announced in triumphant, yet I could only stare at him with a raised eyebrow.

"...You and Britain talk about me?" I asked, feeling something close to being creeped out but closer to morbid curious.

"Now what to tell you." America muttered to himself, dodging my question entirely. I wanted to dissuade him, but as I took in his pondering expression, I realized he was genuinely putting effort into helping me get some shut eye.

 _It couldn't hurt to try._ Warmed by his caring gesture, I gave in quickly to the concept.

"Fine, tell me something about yourself that I don't already know." I had an amused smile on my face as I laid back on the cot and America took a seat beside me.

"Well, you know a lot about the stuff I did during this war...but you don't know about the stuff before, right?"

"Yeah, nothing beyond the surface level stuff they taught me in history class." I agreed easily.

"Then I'll tell you what I was doing before Germany became an evil villain!" America said everything much too cheerfully.

"Go on." I told him, closing my eyes with the belief that it would help America's plan work.

"So it was a few years ago in the 1930s." America began in an upbeat manner, but I felt myself freeze and tense in response.

 _1930s?_ I opened my eyes cautiously and noted the way America was looking at the ground rather than me while he spoke.

"I was...going through a rough time, ya know." The slight hitch in his voice was enough to reveal he was attempting to understate The Great Depression, and I couldn't help except be baffled by his choice of setting. "But, something that really cheered me up was being able to fly my plane!"

"And one day when I was getting ready to fly my plane for the fun of it, I saw this girl." My face scrunched up in intrigue while a small smile returned to America's face. "I had never met her before, but I sure had heard a lot of things about her."

"She had a reputation for being a different kind of gal, like you." America glanced over to shine his radiant smile on me before looking away again. "Some even thought she was crazy, but I thought she had a lot of spunk. And her attitude was something real special back then."

I closed my eyes once more, content upon realizing this memory was more happy than depressing in nature.

"And she sure knew how to fly that plane!" America cheered, and I felt the dawning of understanding hit me.

 _A woman flying a plane in the 30's? ...Amelia Earhart?_ It was with that thought that I realized why America was telling me this particular story.

 _I can't believe he remembers me mentioning how I used to idolize that woman._

"We kept running into each other at the plane hanger, and we eventually ended up becoming really good friends..." America seemed to pause as he recalled more. "I still remember how awesome it was when we got a chance to fly together and I got to make the plane do a back flip! Everyone else thought I was crazy, but she just thought it was funny." America's voice had gotten softer the more he talked, or perhaps I was drifting off.

"I guess it was because she was a daredevil herself. I mean, she's the one that had this totally insane plan to fly solo around the whole world. I tried to tell her that, as awesome as that would be, it was too risky...but she was so stubborn." Now I was certain his voice has gotten lower and gentle, perhaps with old pain.

"...She didn't come back when she was supposed to." The lighthearted tone was gone.

"So I went looking back for her myself... I spent so many days looking for a sign of her, but I couldn't even find debris." The frustration sounded prominent, as if he had been searching merely a few days ago, which made sense since years had less meaning to an immortal who had existed for nearly two hundred years. Yet, I still wanted to say something, but nothing my sluggish mind came up with sounded appropriate.

"It's the one year I think I forgot my own birthday. She was supposed to show up the before it, and she promised to be there for the party, but I forgot all about it when she went missing." I was certain it was my fading consciousness that had caused America's tone to seemingly lower to a gentle whisper.

"-made a birthday wish one night." I caught a fragment of the phrase that could of been a lullaby from the way it soothed me. "When I was flying and not finding... If I could have only one thing that July, I wanted it to be her...tell her how much I missed her and lov-"

My conscious drifted out with a finality.

* * *

 _Why does it smell like burgers in here?_ My first coherent thought latched onto the unusual smell in the room. Therefore, I opened my eyes slowly in order to investigate. I immediately found myself staring into what firstly looked like a tan fur ball until the figure rolled over and blue eyes stare back at me.

"Alfie?" I questioned in a garbled whisper, slowly shifting until I ended up in a sitting position. "Oh yeah, I forgot you were here the other day." Yet I halted in speech and movement when I felt something rough and heavy slip off my body.

 _Isn't this America's?_ I lifted up a corner of the Air Force jacket, which had been lying on me as a makeshift blanket.

"Meoow." The cat greeted me with a tired drawl, and as he stared up at me, I noted he had dark spots around his own eyes.

 _Don't tell me he was up all night looking for me too?_ I felt a warm smile become etched onto my face at the thought.

The smile dipped into a frown when it occurred to me that I couldn't recall ever waking up before America-cat. "You did get some sleep after I had been found, right?" I lightly chided the cat, taking in his unusual worn down appearance _(I'm such a hypocrite)_.

"Meow...meow." America-cat tried to shake off my concern, but it was obvious he ready to drop or needed a stimulant to keep awake.

 _I really wish I hadn't worried everybody, but even I'm worried about me._ It was easy to imagine the self proclaimed hero-cat had stayed up all night beside me, after America had left, to watch over me. His action meant a lot to me because I knew he valued sleep as much as I did, possibly more since I often slept for the pleasure of sleeping rather than necessity due to the "frozen in time" condition I had.

 _Boy, I feel great._ I pulled my phone out of my bag, and wasn't shocked to see that it was only ten-thirty in the morning, meaning I had only gotten about an hour of sleep.

 _Being frozen ain't half bad._ As I took in the sluggish animal crawling over to melodramatically flop onto my lap, I couldn't help but take pleasure in the rare good aspect of my transportation into Hetalia.

"Don't worry, I'll sneak you over some caffeine later." I smiled down at the cat while giving him a quick back rub. Drowsily, America-cat raised his head to acknowledge my statement before he sunk back down. Thus, I gently nudged him off my lap and onto the pillow beside me so I could hop to my feet.

"I'll be back soon." I told him before walking out of my tent. I squinted a bit as the morning sun stung my eyes, yet I continued walking on as they adjusted to the light.

 _The food tent's on the path over there, right?_ I passed a couple American soldiers who stared at me briefly before conspicuously delving into whispers. As I rushed through the forest, since the food tent was fairly far from the main camp, I held little doubt they weren't talking about last night's incident and whatever gossip they had concocted while I was resting.

 _Goodness, I feel like I'm describing a high school... I guess high school never ends._ I shuddered slightly at the terror inducing thought, but my mood jumped up once I saw my upcoming destination coming up.

"What did you do with it?!" Britain demanded, waving his fist in the younger nations' face.

"Dude, I still don't know what your talking about." America nonchalantly ate from a can labeled "hamburger" as Britain glared at him. I noted he was wearing his navy uniform once more, which was probably why he had been so willing to part with his jacket early today.

"Don't deny it! I have at least three accounts from my soldiers that you were sneaking, though knowing you it was more like stomping, around my camp right before it went missing." Britain shouted, pointing an accusing finger in America's oblivious smiling face.

"Well if you're soldiers are anything like you, then they're probably seeing things that aren't really there." America shot back with his grin never wavering, though it grew closer to a smirk when Britain started to angrily sputter in response.

"You wanker!" Britain had steam rising from his head, so annoyed he was.

"Tell me what you did with my teapot!" Britain demanded, grabbing America by the collar and probably miffed by how he had to reach up to do that. "I swear if this is some sort of hoax..." Britain growled in anger, infuriated by how America just laughed in his face at the threat.

 _Wait, teapot?_ My eyes widened as I finally registered what they were talking about.

"You mean the one with pink flowers on it?" I interjected, startling Britain into releasing America and causing my nation to look over and smile at me.

"What's up, bro?" America greeted while Britain just stared at me.

"Yes, my teapot and cup had elaborate flowers on them. Have you seen where this idiot hid it?" Britain questioned, looking at me near desperately. Though, since he was looking at me so imploringly, he didn't notice America making gestures behind him that clearly emphasized how he didn't want me to reveal the truth.

"I saw..." I raised an eyebrow in America's direction and mentally questioned why I shouldn't be honest with Britain.

"..." America sent me his best puppy dog eyes and put his hands together in a pleading manner.

"Well, where did you see it?" Britain asked impatiently, somehow oblivious to my silent conversation with America.

"I...um..." I watched America lift up a jar of freshly brewed coffee and offer it to me like it was a prize. "Don't remember."

 _Curse him for knowing my weakness!_

"You don't remember?!" Britain sounded livid after getting his hopes up and then beaten down.

"I know it's around here somewhere, but without some coffee, I can't recall." I walked over to America and snatched the entire jug from him, all the while ignoring the way he smirked as I cradled the jog in my hands.

"Americans..." Britain muttered in despair, but I pretended not to hear as I looked over the array of canned food scattered on a picnic table.

"So what's for breakfast?" I asked, inspecting the cans of hamburger with disinterest.

"We have some canned chocolate if you'd like." America offered so casually that he nearly convinced me a normal breakfast consisted of chocolate. Though considering there was only canned bread, beef, and more burgers to eat, I soon decided that candy wasn't that bad of a choice.

"Why not?" I shrugged while reaching for the can of chocolate. Then I took a seat on the picnic seat beside America while eyeing the soda nearby as a potential future caffeine resource. America merely stuck his fork back into another can of burgers and preceded to gorge on it while I calmly started to sip on my coffee straight from the jug.

"Geez."

"Hm?" The muttered word caused me and America to look over and stare at Britain, who was siting down on a nearby patch of grass.

He also seemed to be eating a late breakfast as he muttered, "Ugh, dammit. I'm getting sick of eating biscuits and oatmeal every day." Britain grimaced while looking down at some rather unpleasant looking mush in his bowl.

 _The navy did a lot of things to me I'm not happy about, but at least they fed me right._ I grimaced in sympathy at Britain's predicament, suddenly very grateful I was American and therefore had American ration privileges.

"Britain!" America called out with a smile, shocking Britain into looking up from the goo he claimed was oatmeal. "Would you like some of this?" America picked up the loaf of bread and held it in Britain's direction.

"Ah..." Britain made a surprised noise and red anime shock marks appeared over his head. "Is it okay?" Britain was wary at the sudden change of heart, which made sense since the American and British military only seemed inclined to share support on the battlefield and nothing else. Despite his suspicion Britain still rose up to reach for the bread.

"Of course!" America reassured with enthusiasm. Though no one noticed how I smiled to myself as I recalled this particular Hetalia episode scene.

"Thanks!" Britain said genuinely, in awe as he grabbed the loaf.

However, he found himself shocked when America didn't let go while asking, "So, what will you do for me in return?" America had an easygoing smile on his face, yet Britain's previous relief quickly became an irritated scowl.

"I-I don't want it, idiot!" Britain shouted, attempting to save his dignity for falling for America's antics.

"Then, why don't you let it go?" America smirked victoriously, noting how Britain still hadn't released the loaf.

"Oh, America, didn't anyone ever teach you sharing is caring?" I spoke up, putting down the now empty jug of coffee.

"I am sharing!"

"I did teach him, but it never sticks in this daft's fool head!"

"It's not sharing if you want something in exchange; that's called trading." I chided him like I was teaching a lesson to a child. Then I walked up to the two, who both wouldn't loosen their grip on the loaf, and placed a hand on each of theirs. Tugging back both of their hands, I pulled apart the bread and both nations watched in awe as they ended up with half a loaf of bread.

"Bon appetite!" I announced before swiping a cola bottle and a canned beef from the table.

 _Time to go._ I started to walk away, however, I heard some indignant shouting coming from behind me, so I also added, "If you don't let him keep it America, I'll switch your daily coffee with the most British tea I can find!"

Immediately the voices quieted, and satisfied with the response, I happily returned to my tent.

"I'm back." I spoke in a sing song voice while presenting the cola bottle. In reply, America-cat lifted his head pitifully from my cot and practically dragged himself to the edge of the bed. I bent down near the cot and started to rummage through my bag until my hand hit metal. I tugged out a metal bowl, and placed it down on the bed beside America-cat.

 _I know normal cats wouldn't prefer this to milk, but he's never been normal._ I poured all the soda into the bowl, and watched America-cat sniff at it before his eyes widened.

"Meow!" That was all the cat could say in appreciation before he practically dunked his head into the dark liquid. Before I could blink, the soda was gone and I had a vibrating cat who was twitching with energy on my bed.

"Glad you're feeling better." I muttered, watching the feline roll over and over again like he had decided to exercise. I just shook my head while chuckling in amusement and then bent down.

"Now I have a teapot to deliver." I grabbed the teapot and the cup from the ground before standing up again.

"Just don't scratch up my pillow like you did last time, okay?" I muttered as I exited.

"Meow-meooow." I could hear no guarantee or promise in the tone of America-cat, but I left with a fond smile on my face nonetheless.

 _Hope they haven't killed each other yet._ I didn't rush on the path to the food tent, not exactly enthusiastic to play peacekeeper again, so it took me about twenty minutes arrive at my destination. However, I was mildly surprised to find it empty.

 _Did they already leave?_ Britain I could believe, as he wouldn't want to spend any extra minutes near the annoying nation, but America also took a while to finish considering he had seconds upon seconds of meals. I inspected the area in confusion, and set the tea set on the table to find a clue.

 _First I go missing and now they... What is that?_ The barest hint of an indiscernible noise was coming from a distance, but it was so faint I couldn't conclude its exact location. Hence, I took an educated guess and walked past the food area and slightly into the woods. I was a little wary, taking into account what happened the last time I entered the forest by myself, but I hurried into the deeper forest and was glad to hear the sounds grow stronger.

"What?!" I made out the loud outcry, and edged closer to what appeared to be a clearing up ahead.

 _Oh, I forgot all about this!_ I gasped a bit when I took in the scene happening before me.

"Don't try anything or I'll shoot your heads off!" Germany shouted at Britain and America, both who were sitting in chairs with two other German soldiers pointing guns at their heads. Their arms were up in the common surrender pose, though both Allies nation looked reluctant to do so. Recognizing the danger, I immediately ducked down behind the nearest bush and I felt my breathe quicken.

 _Think!_ I watched the events play out while slowly crawling behind a bush.

"This is all your fault, Britain!" America shouted, though he was glaring at Germany.

"I was having my tea time! It's not my fault you followed me!"

"Yeah, well excuse me for trying to remind you that we're enemy territory!"

"If you were a gentleman then you'd understa-"

"No talking!" Germany shouted angrily while waving his gun towards Britain.

 _Nice to know I'm not the only one annoyed by their constant arguing._ I tried to humor myself, silently hoping I wouldn't have to intervene. Yet I was well aware the lunch tent was relatively far from the American and British campsite, and I had to travel farther just to hear them properly. Therefore, it was unlikely either army was coming to their country's rescue anytime soon.

"You will both do exactly as I say if you wish to live! First, you will remove any weapons from yourselves immediately. Next, you are both going to get up slowly or-" I blocked out Germany's orders in favor of listening to my mental thought process.

 _So it's up to me...again...I really should get payed for this._ I poked out my head, and with a half baked plan in my head, I grabbed a part of the bush to shake it just so in order for it to be noticeable to anyone looking in my direction.

 _Come on, America. Release your inner ADHD!_ I shook the branch a little harder and was slightly worried the sheer noise would cause the two German soldiers whom were facing my direction, though focused on the nations, to spot me. Fortunately, America's eyes had started to wander from Germany briefly while he went into selective hearing mode. As even in this dangerous situation, it seemed he couldn't help but be his egotistical American self. Hence, America's eyes idly traced the forest's edge but halted when they caught sight of the shaking bush. His eyes widened briefly as I stuck my head out more and I thought I saw a bit of nervousness for my sake edge into his expression. However, I ignored his unwarranted concern and held ten fingers up. America looked confused until he saw me mouth the numbers while I began lowering one finger down for each second, and then he realized it was a countdown.

 _Don't do this, dude._ America's eyes warned in response to my impending involvement.

 _Imma do it!_ I had gotten down to one hand.

 _Not cool, bro!_ America tried to send me his best attempt at a stern glare, but it was nowhere near my mother's death stare so I remained unaffected.

 _This. Be. Happening._ I winked and sent him an imitation of his winning grin _(I swear he's a bad influence!)_

 _Fine, but you're in trouble for scaring me like this!_ America's eyes hardened just slightly in my direction and then he accepted I would act regardless, so he decided to lend me some help.

"-and then you will have to eat sideways! So if you do not wish that to happen, don't try to escape-"

"So how's it going with Russia?" America chirped, interrupting Germany's running threat while I pulled down my last finger.

 _Her it goes!_ I slinked over to Germany, while everyone was distracted by America.

"'Cause I heard he was kicking some serious German _bleep_ lately! Like, can you even sit down properly, dude?" America went on with a vicious smile, though Britain merely gaped at America like he had lost his mind. Germany, however, had grown red and his eyes had froze over with frigid anger.

"Um, you know young countries, they don't know when it's a proper time to speak or-" Britain valiantly tried to save America's skin until he caught sight of Germany's darkening face.

"You stupid American!" Germany readied the gun on America and I heard the safety click off right as I sprung up. The two other Germans stared at me in awe but couldn't react before I sent a harsh kick to the back of Germany's knees.

 _Taller they are, harder they fall!_ Germany lost balance and went crashing down.

"General!" The two Germans stared at their commander before swiftly pointing their guns at me.

 _Crap!_ I made a move to dodge, or at least attempt to, but my action was proved unnecessary as America's gloved hands landed on their guns and shoved them down.

"This is for ruining my gentlemanly tea time!" Britain also reacted by tossing the liquid in his tea cup _(he had extras?)_ into the face of one German. Said soldier immediately dropped his gun in favor of grabbing at his face and yelling in pain.

"I'm the hero!" America pulled the gun out of the other German soldier's hand and then preceded to smack him upside the head with it.

 _Yes!_ I cheered silently, watching the quick defeat of the Axis in momentary admiration. Yet I quickly paid for my lapse in judgement when I felt a rough hand pull me backwards

"You..." Germany spoke in a low, rough whisper while keeping a tight grip on my arm. "I know what _you_ are." Though the cryptic words and lack of physical attack confused me to the point that I forgot all about struggling.

 _What does he mean-_ My thoughts halted as Germany's ice blue eyes stared straight into my own, and he whispered one sentence that left me reeling.

 _What?!_

"May!" I heard a shout ring out, but the words of Germany were louder as they repeated in my head.

"I don't understand." I whispered to no one in general and everyone at the same time, my brain becoming sluggish as Germany's words swirled in my brain.

"Let her go!"

"That's no way to treat a lady, you uncultured-" As Britain was speaking, Germany finally took his all knowing gaze off of me, and then used his grip on my arm to hurl me forward.

"Oof!" Britain shouted as I collided into him, and I wasn't able to stop my momentum before we both tumbled over.

"Dudes?!" America stared down at our crumbled forms in a stupor. Then he shook his head to clear it and bent down to pull me up by my jacket, which I was grateful for since I felt like my limbs were locked.

"Y'all alright?" America questioned, his eyes jumping from my dazed expression to Britain's form on the ground.

"I'm fine!" Britain grunted, dusting himself off and clambering to his feet.

"I'm...fine." I muttered, though America didn't notice as he searched for the nation that dared to attack his citizen.

"Huh? Germany's gone!" America surveyed the abandoned area with palpable disappointment since he could no longer seek vengeance.

"Blasted! And he took the other soldiers with him!" Britain muttered, walking over to the table. "At least my cup is okay."

"No fair! That coward!" America declared in a huff. Neither noticed how I hung back and stared blankly at the forest Germany had fled into.

"I'm fine." I repeated, my mind still not functioning correctly.

 _What did he mean by that?_

"I'm fine." I whispered louder.

 _No, no way he... But what if?_

The dread was back and I could do nothing except remain in denial.

* * *

"Can't you just swim there or something?" America whined, standing in front of the entrance to his plane and blocking Britain's path.

"Swim there?!" Britain questioned with an incredulous expression. Though his face quickly transformed into a scowl as he shot back, "Can't you read a map? It's impossible for anyone to swim that many miles! Besides, it's not doesn't like it will inconvenience you! You have stop for fuel at my home regardless!" Britain added, steam building like an angry crown above his head.

"But you'll make the plane all stuffy and everything will smell like fish-"

"Oh, for goodness' sake!" I shouted, rising up from my seat on the plane and marching over to America. "Sharing is frigging caring! Now stopping hogging your dumb plane!" I elbowed America in the ribs, and he reluctantly moved over a bit so I could fit in the doorway beside him.

"Dumb plane?!" America out cried, sounding like I had personally offended him. "How could you call Shirley that?"

"You named your plane as well?!" Britain sounded shock, so I took advantage of both their surprise to shove America back a little more and tug Britain in by the collar.

"He's coming." I stated, and raised a hand to prevent America's protest. "Do you want your collection of Captain America comics to mysteriously end up in the pool with Whale Dude?" I questioned with deadly warning, and America stared at me with slight nervousness.

"You wouldn't actually-" I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms, causing America's mouth to shut.

"But dude-"

"You can sit wherever you want." I told Britain with a smile, dismissing the protests of America as I grabbed one of Britain's suitcases and carried it to the backseats.

"At least someone here has proper manners." Britain huffed, probably sending America a smirk before carrying the rest of his luggage to the back, where I had placed the bags on the back row.

"Ugh, fine!" America groaned. "It better not end up smelling like tea in here!" America huffed out before making his way to the front seat.

Britain prepared to shout something back, but I gave him a stern glare while saying, "Don't. I'm not in the mood to deal with both of your obnoxiousness."

"Obnoxious? I am not-"

"You can be when America is involved." I mentioned tersely, irritated from the multiple times I had to play referee to their arguments for the past couple of days. Britain clearly noted my mood and how rightfully warranted the emotion was, so his mouth closed in acceptance.

"Dude, you coming up here any time soon?" America called out, causing me to turn and prepare to reply.

"Actually, May, I need a moment to speak with you." Britain interrupted, and my mouth snapped close as I turned to him with a quizzical expression. Thus, Britain continued, "It's about your dreams."

My eyes widened a bit, and I didn't turn away from Britain as I shouted back to America, "I'll come up a little later!" Ignoring America's disgruntled response, probably a jab at Britain, I perched in the seat next to him.

"You found something?" I asked, still confused about the sudden request.

Britain nodded before saying, "It's not much, unfortunately, but I believe it might prove useful to your research." Britain began as he reached for the bag at his side and placed it on his lap. Then he opened it up and pulled out a large, folded piece of paper.

 _It's a map._ I stared at the paper as he unfolded it and held it up so I could see it as well.

"What is this?" I questioned, eager to for new information on the most present and potentially dangerous result from my transportation into Hetalia.

"This is a map of the area our camps were in." Britain began, almost sounding proud of it. "It shall make it easier for me to explain."

Britain pointed to a red dot that was in the middle of what seemed to be America's camp. "This is roughly where you were when you had your first nightmare, or daymare as you call them." I followed Britain's finger while it trailed the red line attached to the first dot until he stopped at a new dot; a blue one.

"This is where I found you." Britain's finger then traced a short blue line from the dot and landed on a purple point. "This is a rough estimate, from what you told me, of where you first woke up from your daymare before you managed to head back to America's camp." Britain concluded, and I stared at him with confusion.

"I don't think I understand where you're going with this." I mentioned reluctantly, feeling I was missing something obvious.

"You said you have never recalled moving before while your dreams occurred, correct?" Britain asked, strangely patient as he indulged my ignorance as if I were a small child, though in more of an understanding manner than a demeaning one.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure I didn't move from the spot when the nightmares or daymares began in the past." I agreed.

"Which makes your recent encounter with the daymare highly unusual, and that is why I decided to look into it." Britain went on.

"What did you find?"

"Not much, as I mentioned, but a beginning of a theory." Britain sounded a little prideful over the so-called small theory. "I don't believe _you_ were wandering when your dream began, and when I say 'you', I am referring to your consciousness." I nodded to show I was following. "Instead, I believe your body, while not under your conscious control, had a mind of its own."

"...Are you trying to tell me you think I was possessed?" I had disbelief all over my face, feeling slightly disappointing by such a ridiculous notion.

"No!" Britain shouted, taking offensive from my incorrect assumption. "I haven't jumped to that conclusion for centuries...though it is a possibility." Britain muttered.

"Then what? You're going have to spell it out for me!" I felt my own inner calm cracking, as the emotional drain from the past few days caught up with me.

Britain, with supreme effort, calmed down enough to explain, "I won't pretend to know what made your body act without your will, and frankly, I am not concerned with that issue right now. What I do believe is that your body had a destination in mind, for lack of a more appropriate phrase."

"What?" I inquired, certainly not expecting to be told that.

"Just look at the map." Britain urged, and I did so without hesitation.

 _...He's right._ While my frantic run from the camp to where Britain found me in the forest appeared as a wobbly red line on the map, with no apparent direction, the blue line after I was hit by next dream was different.

 _I nearly walked in a straight line._ The blue path showed that I headed far away from the camps in a northeaster direction.

"Estimating how long it takes a normal person to walk that length, it is safe for me to say you probably never strayed from the route on the map. You couldn't have walked that far if you had made any detours." Britain's voice had hardened. "Therefore, we can conclude your body was either unable to walk outside of a straight path or-"

"It had a goal in mind." I concluded, an uneasy tension making my back straighten.

"But where was I, or my body, headed?" I asked with a calm that wasn't exactly genuine.

Britain's face scrunched up in thought, as he admitted, "I'm not exactly sure about this...but it seems you were getting close to a border."

"Another country?"

"Not exactly." Britain stared at me seriously. "But you were heading very close to an area my army believes to be Axis controlled territory." Britain concluded, and I stared at him in shock. "It's a good thing you turned back because you nearly landed at a German encampment." Britain looked both relived and concerned.

"German?" I whispered more to myself, and I felt my mind reflect back on yesterday's incident.

 _"You don't belong with them. You don't even belong in their world."_

 _What?!_

 _Is there a connection? Is Germany involved with everything? Does he know more about me than I thought?_ My mind started whirring with thoughts, lingering on the possibility that Germany knew I was not from this world.

 _But how would he know when barely the Allies know? ...Unless he had something to do with it._ If Germany was that someone who had caused my transportation into this world then it made sense he knew all about my secret.

 _But why wait until now to say something? The first time he saw me, he didn't seem to recognize me at all and-_

"Does this mean anything to you?" Britain asked with hopeful curiosity, taking into account my lost expression.

"I... I'm not sure." I said softly, words on my lips but personal feelings holding them back.

 _Germany might have been the one to send me into Hetalia._ A part of me wanted to say that, but the implications were troubling.

 _Germany didn't send me into Hetalia, but he's recently found out I'm not from this world._ I couldn't figure out if that was more worrying than the other possibility, yet another part of me wanted to say it.

"You're thinking about telling me nothing, aren't you?" Britain's sudden question caused me to snap to attention and stare at him. I expected accusation in his eyes, so was shocked to find an almost sly and accomplished expression on his face. "Don't look so worried; I'm not angry, May." I forced my face to relax into a neutral look.

Britain sighed before stating, "I like to believe, after a year, I have some inkling of how you think. And if there's one thing I've come to recognize, it is your extreme dislike for worrying others." I kept silent, feeling a sense of dejavu as Britain went on.

"You always waited until you were at your last reserve before you told me anything about your transportation into this world. Even when you are seriously worried about a matter, you won't tell anybody about unless you felt there was nothing you could do on your own." Britain sounded lightly smug, but not unkindly as he dove on.

"It's rare to see someone so independent as yourself, but-" Britain's face turned into a light scowl. "If I recall correctly, I told you to tell me anything that worried you." Britain sounded upset, and I couldn't help but look down in shame for keeping silent.

"Didn't know it was an order." There was no irritation in my voice, merely weariness.

"It was not." Britain said with emphasize. "It was a request from...a friend." Britain's voice had softened so I hesitantly looked up to see him staring at me with something akin to pity.

"Funny, you sound more like my mother." I mumbled to myself.

"What was that?" Britain asked, a warning in his tone either because he heard me fine, and was offended, or because he didn't appreciate mumbling people.

"I said I'm sorry, okay?" I admitted. "It's just hard for me to tell people how I feel or what I think sometimes." I huffed out weakly, feeling oddly vulnerable at the admission.

"I've noticed." Britain said. "But I'm sure you can see it's not best to keep such things to yourself." Britain reasoned with me, and I felt my inner resolve deflate.

 _He's right. You could use all the help you can get._ I sighed and took a moment to compose myself.

"Yesterday...remember that incident with Germany?"

"Of course." Britain stated with some confusion.

"When he grabbed me, he said something to me, and I'm not sure what it means." I kept pondering on the implications but continued speaking. "He said I don't belong with you guys, you and America I think, and that I don't belong in your world." I concluded with a strain, derived from frustration, in my tone.

Britain hesitated to speak, taking a moment to soak in my words. "I see, that is most unusual." Britain gained a pondering expression and I felt the desperate need to voice my thoughts.

"Do you think he know I'm not from this world?" I asked quietly, attempting to keep the fear from breaking into my voice at the idea.

Britain's forehead scrunched together as he mulled over the idea and then he revealed, "It's a possibility." I felt my heart sink despite the soft tone he used.

"But how?" I asked myself more than anyone else. "And when did he learn? ...Or has he always known?" I heard my voice spill out in a frenzy, and forced myself to stop before I really did panic.

"I do not know." Britain rested a hand on my shoulder..

 _"I promise it will be alright."_ My father's voice rang in my head and the heavy feeling ebbed away slightly.

"However, while this is certainly a problem, it's not one you must deal with alone." Britain gave me a small smile.

"I know I could be worrying over nothing, the words could mean something else entirely, but..." I couldn't go on as my troublesome thoughts washed over me again.

 _If Germany knows, he may have told the other Axis members. They might all know about me._ Dread was becoming a hard feeling to choke down.

 _And if he knows about my situation, he may know about my world and the information I have._

"May, are you listening?" Britain interrupted my inner rant, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" I shoved the thoughts with serious effort.

Britain sighed, a bit of impatience in his eyes, but he eventually said, "I wish I could reassure you that this was nothing serious, but I can't. However, even if you don't believe me, know that America wouldn't let Germany or any country near you." Britain continued.

"I know that, but... There's no use going on, is there? It never is with all these annoying mysteries." I felt bitterness lace my final words.

"It's merely a matter of time before we know everything." Britain said, and for some reason my ears latched onto the phrase.

 _A matter of time... But time isn't slowing down._ I nodded to Britain with an accepting smile as I rose to a stand, unable to speak further.

 _And exactly how much time do I have left to figure this puzzle out?_ I walked up to the front of the plane, feeling as I were in a dream.

 _What if it isn't enough?_ I sat down by America and he smiled over at me, glad for my company. I gave a weak smile back and then turned my eyes up to the sky.

 _It's coming to get you._ The taunting hiss of a thought was not my own, yet it still managed to cause me to inwardly stumble as if I had been hit by a wave.

 _And no one can stop time, May._

* * *

"The **clock** talked loud. I threw it away, it scared me what it talked." ~ Tillie Olsen

* * *

 **And the plot gets a move on! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Next time, expect to see the return of a lot of familiar nations and all the chaos that comes with them!**

 **Bye now!**


	20. Chapter 20: The Present Is A Gift

**Once more, thanks for all the reviewing and favoriting (over 80!) of this fanfic!**

 **And super special thanks to all you followers because we have finally reached over 100 follows! It's so fitting considering it's been nearly a year since this story was published and this is the 20th chapter!**

 **As a gift to all you wonderful followers, I really put my all into this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer: Do I even have to say anything? I mean, the word "disclaimer" should make it pretty obvious I don't own any Hetalia characters besides my OC. And I don't own the song lyrics used either... Weird if you think I did own them.**

* * *

 **Temporal** (also known as Secular): Of related to **Time** as opposed to eternity.

* * *

 _April 1943_

"America?"

"Yeah?"

"Is this thing supposed to feel like it's squeezing the life out of me or am I just fat?"

"..."

"..."

"...Um-"

"I'm offended you had to think about an answer."

"I thought it was a trick question!" America hastily added, holding up his hands in surrender and coming to a dead stop so he could give our conversation proper attention. Thankfully, in this time period, no one was distracted by their cellphone. Therefore, the few people out this morning easily spotted us and walked around the space we occupied on the sidewalk.

"Besides, it was the only one I could find!" America pointed out, but then his eyes drifted to a large vanilla cake someone carried out of a nearby bakery.

"Hey, that looks perfect for tonight!" America, now distracted _(he has ADHD, I swear!),_ resumed walking and forgot all about my complaints. His dismissal of my problem irritated me slightly, but I knew it wasn't intentional, hence, I merely sighed and trailed after him with mild difficulty.

 _I still want to know what he was doing with a woman's dress in the first place._ I allowed my thoughts to distract myself from the feeling that the dress was tearing a bit every time I took a step.

 _Then again..._ The more I thought about it, the more it became apparent that there was typically only one reason a man held on to a woman's dress. Within seconds, I felt my face heat up at the idea.

 _Doesn't that mean he and some woman had-_

"Dude, let's try here!" America held the bakery's door open for me with a smile, but his expression dimmed when he noted my disturbed appearance.

"You feeling alright?" America questioned in concern as I forced my confined body _(stupid dress!)_ to step into the shop.

 _What if they...while I was in the next door bedroom...I could of walked in on America... Actually, let's just go back to the problem at hand. I hate dresses sooo much!_ I forced the subject change with considerable mental effort.

"May?" America laid a hand on my shoulder, no doubt worried by my silence. Fortunately, the physical contact was enough to bring me back to the present.

"Huh?" I said dumbly, before recalling his words. "Oh, I'm fine. As long as you exclude the fact I feel like this dress is attempting to suffocate me." I mentioned smoothly.

America gained a thoughtful expression while he appraised the dress' snug appearance on me. "Well," His eyes held a far away look as he mentioned, "She was a bit smaller than you-"

"Hey, how about this cake!" I quickly pointed to a random chocolate cake that was on display, not wanting to learn a single thing about the previous owner of the dress since it would force me back to my previous ponderings _(cannot be mentally unseen!)_.

"Oooh, that looks cool!" America went over to the counter and stared down at the chocolate cake with stars twinkling in his eyes. I watched him gush over the chocolate dessert and then speak to the shop owner about it before I fell back into my previous mental discussion.

 _Goodness, this dress is so troublesome!_ I groaned inwardly for the millionth time while slowly coming to appreciate, and long for, the stretchier material many dresses were made of in my time period.

 _It's just so hard to breathe._ Honestly the navy blue dress America had given me, because my typical clothing was unsuitable for the very public shopping area we were in and the few suitable dresses I had were still being washed, wasn't too bad. It looked like every 1940s dress I had seen in old black and white films, or time travel movies, and according to America it was called a tea dress.

 _I hope I don't get a tear in it._ The only true issue I had with it, beside it being a dress, was the fact it was a bit too tight. For most of my body, it could merely be seen as form fitting, yet that wasn't the case for my upper torso.

 _I hate my genetics so much right now._ I had barely managed to close most of the buttons on the upper section of the dress, and even then, I had to leave the collar button undone.

"Come on, May!"

I blinked, and suddenly noticed America had a bag in his hand and was nearby the door.

"Which did you end up getting?" I asked casually as we left the shop and continued to wander around for more goods.

"I was going get vanilla, but that chocolate cake you saw looked good too! So I got both!" America announced with so much cheer that you could believe it was his birthday.

 _Might as well be._ I thought as America searched around for another store to raid.

 _But he gets like this every time he celebrates something._ For today, America was throwing a party. It wasn't for any holiday, but he had recently been doing very well in the war and had therefore decided to celebrate his recent victories. Thus he had invited, or cajoled, every Allies member _(excluding Russia, of course)_ to come over his house tonight and celebrate with him. His logic being that his victory was an Allies victory, which was technically accurate.

"Look, dude! They've got ice cream!" America immediately headed across the brick road to another shop and I hurried after him.

 _Boink!_ I flinched, not at the sound, but from the sudden sensation of being able to breathe properly as the pressure on my chest lessened.

"Ow!" A young man, perhaps a few years younger than me, cried out as two of my dress' buttons hit him on the forehead in succession.

 _Uh-oh._ At first he seemed merely stunned, but then he wobbled a bit, and fell back against the brick wall of the shop behind him.

"Oh, please don't tell me those little buttons gave him brain trauma." I mutterred while hurrying over to him. Normally I would of thought it was insane that little buttons could do that much damage to someone, but considering what world I was in, nothing was ever a certainty.

"Are you alright?" I helped steady the man by grabbing his suit collar and pulling him up.

"Huh?" The man was sluggish to respond and slowly blinked with a dazed look on his face. I allowed him a few moments to reorient himself, but eventually released him when I noted he was standing up by himself.

"You alright?" I questioned again as the man looked at me quizzically.

"I think I'm fine." The young man said gradually, seemingly thinking straight again. "I wonder what hit me." He muttered to himself, rubbing his forehead.

 _I don't think I want to explain that._ I felt mild embarrassment over the ordeal, but seeing the man was not hurt, I started to edge away from him and move towards the shop America had went in.

"Maybe you had a dizzy spell?" I suggested, not noting how the teen's gaze lowered down from my face. "But you seem fine, so I think I'll be going." I held a nervous edge in my tone, as talking to strangers had always made me uncomfortable.

"Uh." The man grunted in response, his mouth hanging open as he continued to owishly stare at me.

 _Maybe I'm wrong, and this guy has a concussion-_ It was at that moment, that I noticed there were pink hearts and bubbles floating around the man's head.

 _What?_ It was also in that moment, that I noted exactly where the man's gaze had fallen.

 _The dress!_ I glanced down at myself, and to my immense horror, I realized that without the buttons, the dress showed a lot more skin on my upper torso than I thought appropriate for any time period. In a mad rush, I grabbed both sides of the dress top and used one hand to hold the clothing together over my chest.

 _Whyyyyy?!_ I felt my cheeks flaring up like a tomato while I scurried away from the man and fled into the shop America had gone in.

"How about sprinkles? Lots and lots of sprinkles!" I latched onto the cheerful melody that was America's voice, and followed it to the front counter where he talked to the employee on duty. "Oooh! Add some of that hot fudge too!" America was giddy with excitement as he stared at the monstrosity that may have originally been a sundae until he had requested extra ingredients be added to it. If he wasn't so engrossed with the frozen treat, he might of noticed the wide eyed expression on the employee's face or the fact I was shuffling over to him with urgeny.

"And how about them gummy bear-"

"I think that's enough for now." I cut in, my voice squeaker than I intended. America glanced down at me as if he had forgotten he hadn't left me at the house while the employee let out a breathe of relief. He was eyeing the ice cream like it was going to leap from box he held in and devour him, and I couldn't fault him for that because I was also disturbed by the sundae's grotesque appearance.

"But why? Wouldn't it be awesomer with gummy bears?" America sounded like he was confounded.

"While I agree that gummy bears are life, I don't think the others will see our way." I was grateful that my tone held steady despite how I was still mentally freaking out.

"Eh, you're right. Europeans have the freakiest tastebuds!" America agreed, more than likely thinking of Britain's bland taste in food. "That's all I'll be getting then." America told the ice cream man, who gladly closed up the box as America pulled out his wallet to pay for it.

"Hey, before you put that away-" America turned to me as the man handed him back the change. "Could you spare me some cash? I need to pick up something." I rushed to say, causing America to stare at me curiously.

"Did we run out of coffee again?" America questioned before turning to pick up the bag containing his ice cream.

"No, I was thinking more in terms of clothing." I responded as we both left the store, the chime of the door announcing our departure. "It just occurred to me that it would be nice to have a couple of dresses from this time period, so we'll never have to scramble for a dress like we did this morning." I released the words in one huge swoop of breathe, the fingers on my free hand twitching with anxiousness.

"Hm." America made a thoughtful sound as he paused on the sidewalk to transfer all his baggage to one hand. "Okay, we can head over there after I get-"

"Actually, there's no need for me to take up your time. You can visit the next store while I pick up a couple of dresses." I rushed out, my hand aching from how tightly it had to grip the dress in order to prevent it from breaking apart every time I took a step.

America looked taken aback by my outburst before slowly saying, "I don't know. I don't think you should go too far." America mentioned with a small frown, and I fought the urge to sigh in exasperation.

 _Dudeee!_ A part of me understood America's caution with me, which had came back with a vengeance after my little sleep waking incident, but I was far too concerned with my current situation to sympathize.

"I'm not going far; I'll be right there." I pointed over to the first clothing shop I saw, which happened to be a store right across from our current location.

"But, um, you don't know what's in style without me!" America attempted to protest, but I just gave him a questioning look.

"And you do?" I asked with a teasing smirk. "You, _Mister_ America, know what's in style for _women_ right now?" I whispered with evident disbelief coating my voice.

In response, America stammered a bit before mumbling, "Fine." America pulled out a few bills from his wallet and handed it to me. I was bit shocked by the large amount, but America didn't seem to consider the money a priority as he stated, "Don't leave the store until I'm back, okay?" America sounded grouchy, but nonetheless, he eventually walked off to find more supplies for tonight's party.

 _Finally!_ I sighed in relief, running over to the clothing store. The man behind the counter greeted me as I entered, and I gave him a quick response before diving into the women's section.

 _Let's find something somewhat appealing._ I grimaced at the majority of stuffy clothing surrounding me, but I knew it would be for the best to find a few I didn't gag at. Therefore, I browsed the few that caught my eye, making certain they were slightly bigger sizes than I usually went for so I wouldn't have a reoccurrence of my current dilemma.

 _They'll do._ I only picked four dresses, which I thought were moderately pretty or even kawaii! worthy. I might of considered picking another one, but with only one free hand, I had a limited ability to grasp things and the weight of four was all I could safely carry. I turned back so I could pay for the items at the register, but I found myself slowing when my ears picked up the distinct sound of someone talking.

 _I didn't know anyone else was in here._ Once again, I found myself filled with curiosity and a unwillingness to fight the urge to investigate.

"-haven't seen any Italian around here." I followed the sound of voices, which just so happened to be originating from the place I had already been walking towards.

"Thank you, sir." I paused a few feet before the front of the store and stared at the two men conversing in front of me.

 _Huh?_ I rubbed my eyes to clear whatever was making me see someone that couldn't possibly be here. However, the man giving a short bow of goodbye to the shop owner didn't disappear like I expected.

 _Japan?!_ I took fast steps to the counter, nearly losing my grip on my current attire in my haste, until I stood right behind him.

"Is that you, Japan?" I asked softly, no louder than a low whisper.

In response, the dark haired man's back stiffened before he slowly rotated to face me.

 _And there go the freaky eyes!_ Japan stared at me blankly, though his eyebrows were furrowed enough to hint he was perturbed by my inquiry.

"...May-san?" Japan spoke in a cautious, quiet manner, his eyes briefly flickering to the shop owner who was staring at us curiously. Though he looked a tad more suspicious when he eyed Japan.

 _This probably does look very odd._ A blatantly obvious Japanese man, with an accent and all, in the United States during War World II probably screamed warning bells to every American in the vicinity. The only thing about Japan not screaming "Japanese spy" was the fact he had traded his typical uniform for a tan suit.

Not wanting the situation to escalate, I shoved the dresses on the counter and asked the shop owner, "How much for these?" Now distracted, the owner looked away from Japan in order to check out my purchases. I half expected the Axis nation to make a getaway as I paid the cashier and received the clothing in a bag. For that reason, I was shocked to turn around and see Japan, still as a statue, by the shop's front doors. I hurried over to him, and was only mildly taken aback by the fact he held the door open for me before I reminded myself how valued polite social customs were during this time.

"I nearly did not recognize you." Japan mentioned calmly, briefly assessing my hair and dress, as we both walked in a seemingly aimless direction. Though I took care to keep the last place I saw America at in eye view; in case I needed him.

 _You never know._ While it never seemed like Japan had any negative intentions for me, I was neither foolish or trusting enough to follow an enemy of my country without backup, even if I personally saw said country as no enemy.

"Yes, well, I thought my old look stood out too much." I explained briefly, unwilling to fully explain my new hair and clothing choice. "Sooo, what brings you here?" I asked, noting the way Japan would occasionally stop and glance around the area.

"I do not believe it is wise to tell you." Japan mentioned easily, still sending searching looks to the few people around us.

"That's a fair answer." I muttered. Then, taking a guess for who he was on the lookout for, I mentioned, "You don't have to worry about America. He's busy shopping for food, which means he could be back anytime now or show up tomorrow." I joked slightly, taking in Japan's tense posture _(or does he always hold himself that way?)_.

"He is not the one I am looking for. Though I am aware of America's odd habits." Japan replied, and I thought I may have saw the barest hint of a smile or smirk on his face before it returned to a neutral expression.

 _Him and America were friends before this mess of a war began. He knows exactly what I mean._ I cut my thoughts off when Japan's expression dipped down into a near grimace and he suddenly halted.

"Japan?" I asked, but then my eyes latched onto an unexpected sight. "Your arm!" I used my free hand to grab Japan's wrist, ignoring his personal bubble in my hurry, and lifted his arm so the sleeve would fall down.

"It is not serious." Japan tried to tell me, but I couldn't help except stare at the bandages wrapped around a few inches of his upper arm. The white of the bandages slowly becoming red, being what truly worried me.

Japan swiftly, albeit gently, took his arm back. Then he grimaced again, before he stated, "It seems that America doesn't have to see me to still cause me damage."

It was within that second, it hit me with clarity what was wrong with him.

 _The U.S. Air Force shot down an important Japanese admiral while he was flying to a group of islands._ It was the main reason America was partying; as it had been a great loss on Japan's part and therefore a victory for the Allies. However, with this revelation, I suddenly felt a heavy, queasy feeling enter my gut at the fact that my nation was celebrating.

And Japan was bleeding.

 _I haven't really considered it._ On an unconscious level, I knew that WWII was causing pain for many countries, but it was easy to forgot about such things while living in a land practically untouchable by the Axis. Yet I didn't think I was going to be forgetting the sight of Japan's bleeding arm anytime soon.

"May-san?" Japan questioned, his eyes revealing no obvious emotion as he stared at me. It was then that I realized I and Japan were the exact same height, as he didn't have to lift or lower his head to stare straight into my eyes.

Though I quickly dismissed the random realization, and frowned before whispering, "I'm sorry." I couldn't figure out what else to say, so I hoped the apology would suffice.

"Do not be." Japan said, causing me to blink at the sudden serenity that seemed to appear in his eyes. And for a moment, the blankness of them wasn't that unnerving, in fact, it was nearly comforting how his stare seemed to go on and on.

 _As endless as the ocean and sky._

"It's not you who is my enemy." Japan's eyes sharpened, and his gaze was no longer on me but looking beyond my shoulder. Instinctively, I followed his gaze to across the street.

I soon found myself gaping at the scene I took in, causing me to question, "Is that who I think it is?" I turned back to Japan, but then started in surprise.

 _He's gone._ The spot Japan had been was vacated, and though I took a moment to search the thin crowds of people, I knew he wouldn't be found again.

"He could give a ninja turtle a run for his money." I muttered, but then I recalled what I had just witnessed and sprinted across the street.

"Hahahaha!" America's boisterous laugh was full of hearty triumph while I approached him.

"America?" I called out to get his attention.

He halted in his heroic posing to turn to me with a grin. "Hey, May! I was totally coming to get you, but then look who I found!" America dragged a oddly passive person in front of me.

"Italy?!" I shouted, thrown for a loop by the sight of the European nation dangling from America's grip. Unlike Japan, he was wearing his army outfit, which I was certain made him stand out.

"Hello, pretty spaghetti noodle!" Italy greeted with a genuine smile. "Are you here for the pasta too?" Italy glanced around eagerly while I gave him a dumbfounded look. Then I stared at America with a question clearly in my eyes.

"Yeah, I think he hit his head when I caught him." America admitted sheepishly.

"What's wrong, pretty noodle?" Italy noted the concerned frown I was sending him. "Do you miss Mr. Tomato?"

"...Like really hard, dude."

I sighed, returning my attention to Italy. "Um, remember me? I'm May. And you do realize you've just been captured by an Allies member?" I asked him gently though confidently.

"Huh?" Italy titled his head quizzically at me before staring up at America. "So you're not going to give me pasta?" I was certain I performed an anime fall after Italy voiced the question.

"Sure! I can give you all the hamburgers you want! ...That counts as pasta, right?" America replied cluelessly, causing anime shock marks to glow over Italy's head.

"Oh." Italy made a soft noise of understanding and stilled.

 _Wow, he's taking this really well._

"WAAAAAHHH! Somebody help me, please!"

 _I stand corrected._ I watched Italy spaz out, with his arms flailing everywhere as he swung side to side in America's grasp. People glanced over at us curiously, and I was grateful only a handful of people were around to view the spectacle.

"America, I think we should go." I whispered urgently above Italy's screams, uncomfortable with the many stares we received. Though most noted Italy's unfamiliar army uniform and America's Air Force jacket, so didn't see the need to intervene.

"Let's get to the car!" America agreed, and he dragged the reluctant Italian forward until we turned onto an alley street. There, multiple cars were parked on the sides, including America's beloved Betty.

"Please don't hurt me! I'll tell you whatever you want!" Italy had a full blown, over the top, anime sobbing fest going on as America unlocked the doors to the car.

"Aw, man, how are we going to get him to stay back here?" America set the bags of food in the back, and then searched for a way to incapacitate Italy, only to find none.

"Maybe...I could help." I suggested, feeling just a bit uncomfortable as America stared at Italy like he was contemplating knocking him out with brute force. Perhaps it was my recent encounter with Japan making me feel more sympathetic than usual, but I simply didn't want to see such a harsh method used on another person.

"How?" America asked, looking at me in expectation.

 _It's for a good cause, it's for a good cause._ I told myself with reluctance.

"...This doesn't leave this alleyway, okay?" I mentioned tersely, and America stared at me in confusion right as I released my hold on my dress.

"Hey, Italy." My sickly sweet tone somehow drew Italy out of his hysterics and he paused in his weeping to look at me. "You wouldn't mind coming with us, or _me_ , right?" I asked with a forced smile while I chocked down my crumbling pride.

"..." Italy stared at me uncomprehendingly for a few seconds, his face grew red, and then he was in action.

"I'd go anywhere with you!" Italy launched himself at me, and America was too stunned to stop him from assaulting me with hugs.

"Great, let's go then." I didn't attempt to detach Italy from my person, who at this point was nothing more than a melted puddle of love sick goo draped over me. Instead, I merely took a seat in the back while crossing my arms over my exposed chest.

America slowly, almost robotically, took a seat in the driver's chair. "...Did you-"

"Never leaves this alleyway. _Never_." My voice dropped to frigid temperatures.

Thus America's mouth shut, he started up the engine, and he drove off without another word.

* * *

 _This feels so much better._ I drifted down the stairs and headed towards the kitchen with ease.

"What?! I'm not using Italy's capture as an excuse to get you to come to my party!" America shouted into the phone, clearly miffed, as I walked in.

 _You'd think he'd be willing to wait until the party started to tell everyone about this._ After I had went upstairs to change, America had been so excited to gloat about his accomplishment that he had rang just about every Allies member, excluding Russia, to tell them how he singlehandedly captured Italy. While I did think it was necessary to inform at least one other nation about this new development, I couldn't agree that America was going about it the right way.

"Are you calling me a liar?!" America continued.

"Well he ain't calling you a truther!" I said loudly enough that he could hear me over the person's shouting _(in Chinese?)_ on the other line. He shot me a confused expression, but I pretended to not see it as I walked over to the dining room.

"May!" Italy shouted happily from his seat on the dining room chair, which he had been tied to with some rope America had found. "Ve?" Italy's wide smile dimmed a bit when he took in my new appearance.

"Don't look so disappointed," I mentioned teasingly, in a better mood since I was in a different dress. "I think I still look pretty." I spun around in a circle so my new outfit would flow a bit. It was still a tea dress, or at least looked like one to me, but this time it was a nice shade of light green. It held no patterns anywhere, and was a solid color except for the white belt that tied in the front of my waist to form a small bow. Also, this time, I had easily buttoned up the dress to the collar.

 _It's not my preference, but this is a party._

"Of course not, you are always beautiful!" Italy shouted enthusiastically, and the fact he was being so genuine, I had a natural smile appear on my face. "This isn't as scary as I thought it was going to be! There is a pretty ragazza and lot of foods! If there was more pasta, then this would be perfect!" Italy enthusiastically observed the table decorated with America's party food. "Maybe Japan won't be upset that we got separated if I tell him about this!"

 _So they were together. Wonder if they were spying on America._ It was easy to imagine Italy had wandered off while Japan was focused on whatever mission they had been on.

"You might change your mind pretty soon." I warned him kindly. "This is an Allies party, so there's going to be plenty of your enemies hanging around here." I spoke with pity for the naïve Axis nation.

"That's okay! As long as you're here, I'll be fine!" Italy's reply caused me to pause for a second as I tried to decipher what he meant.

 _Does he really think I would stop them from interrogating him? I might not be supporting the Allies, but I'm not going to intervene-_

"I mean you're the one, but the Allies still treat you special." Italy hummed happily to himself, completely oblivious to the way my face contorted into wary confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"Then again, Germany said it was only because you've been helping them." Italy concluded as if I had never spoken, his smile never wavering as stared at me. However, I could not share his joy as I stared at him with unease and suspicion.

 _Germany said what about me? ...Is this about last time?_ All the theories about Germany's knowledge on me came back like a sudden storm and I felt my heart rate pick up.

I took a deep breathe to regain my center before asking, "What exactly-"

 _Ding-dong!_ The doorbell interrupted me, and suddenly America was rushing inside the dining room like a whirlwind of pure energy.

"Dude, can you grab the door? I forgot to turn on the radio!" America rushed over to the old fashioned device lying on the kitchen counter. He didn't turn back to me or Italy as he fiddled with it, probably assuming I would follow his orders.

 _Dang it! I'll have to do this later._ I clamped down on the well of irritation, which came from not having a chance to interrogate Italy, before my manners forced me to hurry out the kitchen and towards the front of the house. I didn't care to check who it was prior to unlocking the door and pulling it open.

"Madamaselle, I do not believe I have ever seen you look so stunning!" France cried out as his didn't hide the fact he was ogling me from head to toe. "Even with America's unfashionable clothing on you, you're beauty surpasses-"

"Out of the way, frog face!" Britain suddenly shoved France aside, nearly knocking him into the bushes on the side of the front porch. I was mildly startled from this since France's taller figure had blocked the sight of Britain. "Some people are here to do actual work!" Britain huffed while France struggled to straighten himself up.

"Hello, Britain." I welcomed him with a smile, moving aside to let him in.

He nodded to me while saying, "Good evening, May." For some odd reason, I thought I saw his posture ease up after speaking to me. "I see you are wearing suitable clothing for once, it fits you appropriately." Britain grunted near approvingly.

Though his mood plummeted when France shouted, "Stop trying to steal May's attention from me! Don't you know I've gone too long from being in her company!" France strode in the house, purposefully bumping into Britain, and Britain glared at him in response.

Before the Brit could retort though, I stated blandly, "We just saw each other two days ago at an Allies meeting."

"Exactly! Too long, my dear!" France announced dramatically while I merely rolled my eyes.

"Gone with your french fry self." I muttered in annoyance.

More verbal than me, Britain said with a vicious scowl, "You're delusional, Frenchie. She clearly doesn't care-"

"What are you doing, dudes?!" America questioned as he came before us. It was then that my ears caught on to the low hum of the radio as classical jazz filled the air. "This is supposed to be a party, not a meeting!" America chided, clearly annoyed how their antics were ruining the mood of his party.

"I'm not here to _party_! I am only here to help with the interrogation process of Italy." Britain concluded indignantly while crossing his arms. "And what is that blasted noise?"

"It's jazz! The awesomest music-"

 _Aw man, I almost forgot about Italy._ I tuned out the sound of America's and Britain's shouting match, which they were thankfully taking to another room, and took a step towards the kitchen.

 _Ding-dong!_ My ears latched onto the sound and I swiveled back to face the door, which I had forgotten to close. Quickly, my blue eyes met violet ones.

"Hey, Canada!" I greeted him with a smile while I walked back to the door.

Canada held a shy smile on his face as he started to walk forward. "It's nice to see you agai-"

America carelessly slammed the door close. "I can't focus on partying with that breeze coming in." America walked past me to rejoin the others, all the while never noticing my gobsmaked expression, which probably made me look quite ridiculous. However, within a few moments, I regained my composure and rushed to yank open the door.

 _Timber!_ I barely managed to grab Canada's shoulder as he tipped forward with an angry red mark on his forehead, a profound dazed look, and his glasses askew on his face.

"Are you okay?" I tried to help him straighten up while he maintained an unfocused gaze. I was even half expecting little tweeting birds to fly in circles over his head, but then I recalled that was more of an American animation than a Japanese one.

"E-eh? W-what, um, happened?" Canada managed to ask after he blinked away some of his confusion and I released him when he seemed to regain his balance.

"Your idiot brother didn't see you there and closed a door on your face." I explained compassionately.

"Eh... I guess it could of been worse." Canada muttered sadly and I frowned for his sake.

"Don't worry, I'll yell at him for it later." As I spoke, I noticed his glasses were still crooked. "Oh, let me fix those." I plucked the glasses from his face, straightened out the bent side with only mild difficulty, and then slide the glasses back on the bridge his nose.

Canada blinked in wonder at me while his cheeks gained a slight tinge of pink. "You didn't have to do that, May." Canada tried to tell me.

"De nada." I mentioned offhandedly. "So you wanna grab some food? Because I think we have more than we should in the dining room." I closed the front door and was now gesturing for Canada to enter the kitchen.

"Sure." Canada nodded happily, walking into the kitchen and heading towards the dining room. Though he hesitated a little when he noticed Italy was in the room, but then he shrugged, as if mentally dismissing it as normal for America.

 _You know, I don't remember Canada appearing in the episode where Italy was captured._ _Is this another inconsistency?_ I wondered to myself, idly watching Canada eye the multicolored ice cream with slight apprehension before bypassing it and just grabbing a glass of wine.

"Ah, Canada? Following in Big Brother's footsteps, I see." France announced with a proud, though real smile, as he suddenly appeared in the kitchen. "And attempting to court this beautiful madamesselle! You make me proud every century!" France sent me a flirtatious wink after making his way to a blushing Canada and clapping him on the back.

"I-I wasn't-" Canada tried to protest, but couldn't get a word in as France also grabbed a glass of wine and continued to praise him for "wooing" me. Seeing that I would serve no purpose beyond embarrassing Canada and being eye candy for France and Italy, who was also staring at me like I was the largest plate of pasta he had ever seen, I walked away.

"Now Canada, you must tell me all about the last woman you've been with! Leave no details out, mon enfant!"

"W-what?!"

 _I think I'll just find America._ I walked out of the kitchen area and headed over to the living room, which was the only place I could think of America being in. I was rewarded for my efforts as I caught sight of blonde hair. However, the further I walked in, the clearer the person became and I realized I had found the wrong nation.

"Britain?" I called out, causing the nation to spin around to face me. His face has been set in an angered scowl, but once he noted who had spoken, his face smoothed out.

"I wasn't expecting you." Britain began, visibly trying to temper his prior anger.

"Ya know, I sort of live here." I mentioned jokingly with a soft smile.

"Yes, but there is also an irking individual living here as well." Britain grumbled, his mood turning sour at the thought.

"Well, just remember not all us Americans are that bad... Or at least all of us aren't in my world, but your guys' world does seem a tad different." I admitted after giving it some thought.

Britain raised a skeptical eyebrow, but then a thoughtful frown came upon his face. "May, there is actually something I've been meaning to ask you." Britain stared at me with a sudden intensity.

"What is it?" I asked, intrigued by his words.

"It pertains to your family." Britain began, an unusual gleam in his eyes as he seemed to examine from head to toe. It seemed as if he was attempting to gauge something from my appearance while he drew closer to me.

"...Like my parents or something?" I questioned, my pitch fluctuating with uncertainty.

"Yes, you're correct." Britain took a few steps closer so there was only a few inches left between us. "I wanted to ask if either your mother or father was-"

 _Turn up to Rhianna while the whole club bleeping wasted!_

Britain jumped back so far he crashed into the nearest bookcase and almost toppled it over.

 _Every time I drive by I'm the only thing you playing!_

"My alarm?!" I cried out in astonishment. "So this is where I left it!" I swivelled my head around to locate the source of music.

 _In a drop top, doin' hundred y'all in my rear view mirror racin'!_

"THIS ROOM IS POSSESSED!" Britain shouted, and suddenly he held a wand in a defensive position before us.

 _Where y'all at? Where y'all at? Where y'all at?_

"Calm down, it's just my alarm clock." I picked up the phone and hurriedly swiped the home screen to turn off the blaring.

 _No wonder it didn't wake me up this morning. I left it downstairs._ I recalled how I had intended to wash clothes earlier this morning, so I could join America in his shopping trip, but my alarm clock never went off. Due to that, I and America had to scramble to find me an appropriate dress earlier.

"An alarm?!" Britain demanded, drawing me out of his thoughts. I stared incomprehensibly at his rigid form while he breathed heavily.

 _...Whoops._ It suddenly occurred to me that Britain was staring at a piece of future technology with extreme wariness and had just got his first taste of 2015 music.

"Oh, this?" I started off with forced innocence. "This is just a little device I own that's basically an alarm clock." I didn't see the need to explain all the other features of my cellphone.

The wild look in Britain's eyes lessened and his breathing slowed as he took in the phone's small appearance. "That didn't sound like any alarm I've ever heard." Britain muttered tersely.

"Yeah, I don't think they do this in your time period, but in mines, alarms can be set as music or a song to wake people up."

"That was music?!" Britain screeched.

"Technically yes. Trust me, it's not my style, but I gave it to my friend once and she thought it would be funny to set it to that and I never found the time to change it and I'm totally rambling." I came to a sudden halt as I stared at Britain's lost expression.

"...It's a future thing, don't question it." I concluded as I hastily tossed my cellphone into the dress' belt _(nowhere else to put it)._

"More and more I think the future shall be a strange place." Britain spoke in a disturbed manner, clearly not over what just happened.

"Indeed." I agreed, attempting to ease the tension.

"So this is where you two ran off too!" France startled both of us with his sudden appearance.

"It's sort of freaky how 1984 'Big Brother is watching' you can be with your stalker tendencies." I muttered in dismay, though France ignored the novel reference while he focused on Britain.

He shook his head in shame as he addressed him by saying, "Didn't I teach you that when you want to have alone time with a lady, you should be conspicuous? Imagine if America found you making love with May in this obvious location." France chided, and I felt my eyebrow twitch at his implication.

"FOR THE LAST TIME, I AM NOT-"

"WHOSE BEEN DOING _WHAT_ TO MY CITIZEN?!" America demanded, racing in with a tied up Italy in his hand. Though he barely seemed to notice the Axis nation as he stared suspiciously at the other two nations.

France cowered, no doubt having flashbacks, but Britain just glared back. "America, why is he still here?" Britain asked with a scowl while pointing at Italy.

America was quick to reply, "I already said I don't want to send him back to Germany after it took so much work to capture him."

 _So that's what they were arguing about. I didn't even realize they had a chance to interrogate Italy yet._ I realized the source of Britain's earlier ire must have occurred while I was talking to Canada.

"It's not like he has any useful information." Britain retorted angrily.

"Are you sure this isn't just because he didn't like your food?" America brought up snippily.

"He cannot be blamed for that. It just means he has good taste." France added in snidely.

"It has nothing to do with that!" Britain exploded, appearing prepared to physically attack them. I was certain that all-out war was about to occur, but then the tension was broken as Italy randomly shouted, "PASTA!"

"..." We all froze, and in unison, stared down at Italy who held a blank, ditzy look on his face. He seemed completely unaware of everyone's attention on him as he hummed a small tune to himself.

"...I'll go find a postage stamp." America conceded as everyone came to a mental consensus.

 _He really is useless Italy._ I sweat dropped despite how no one said a word.

For somethings were just too obvious.

* * *

 _Ding dong!_ No one but myself seemed to hear the chime of the doorbell, so I hurried over to the front.

 _Must be China._ I once again threw cation to the wind and just opened the door. I was not surprised to find China standing there, in his typical uniform, but I was shocked to have him rush forward before I could utter a greeting.

"Close the door!" China ordered with a frantic edge to himself, and I was so stunned, that I followed his command like a good soldier and threw the door close.

"Aiya! You weren't fast enough!" China shouted while grabbing his hair in despair and staring at the gloved hand acting as a wedge between the door and the wall.

"That was funny of you. You almost close door on me by accident." Russia pried open the door and strode in like he owned the place.

China groaned and hurried away while I looked at him curiously.

"Russia? I wasn't expecting you to come with China." I questioned while stepping back so Russia could get in further.

"He not supposed to! He followed my car and I can't get rid of him!" China exclaimed, rushing away to hide somewhere deeper in the house.

"So I'm going to assume you invited yourself." I mentioned and Russia smiled wider in reply.

"Da, is that a problem?" Russia sounded uncaring of my reply, but the strange purplish aurora around him told a different story.

"No, I actually think you deserved to come. You're an Allies member and this is an Allies celebration, so I thought America should have given you an invite." I amended kindly, though the fading aurora had been a nice motivator for my reply.

"Good." Russia nodded to me, and I wasn't certain if he was genuinely appreciative of my answer or indifferent.

"But I have to warn you, I don't think America is going be so welcomi-"

"COMMIE! WHAT YA DOING IN MY HOUSE?!" America came storming over to the front entrance where Russia was standing. I couldn't get a word in as he stepped in front on me and sized up the nation, which was slightly hard for him since Russia was a little taller.

"Haha! Silly, American, I am here for the Allies party of course!" Russia chuckled eerily while America glared at him.

"I think I'm just going to go." I backed away from the escalating violence, simply not in the mood to be caught in another's argument. Thus I backed off without another look back, and this feeling of mine was also the reason I walked past the living room without sparing a glance at the duel Britain and France were having with literal swords.

 _At least it's entertaining someone._ I noted that Canada and China were staring at the two with varying degrees of exasperation or annoyance. I merely shook m y head in dismay as I started to trudge up the stairs with the intention of hiding in my bedroom _(ah, sanctuary!)_ until the commotion died down.

 _Maybe I can block them out and read a couple of comics..._ My trail of thought ended as I froze half way on the staircase.

 _Aw, man! I almost forgot!_ I face palmed as I recalled something vitally important about today. Hence, I turned around and hurried down the stairs before I could forgot again.

 _First I set my phone alarm for PM instead of AM, then I forget my phone downstairs, I woke up late so I had to wear that suffocating dress, and I totally forgot about talking to Italy, didn't I?_ I berated myself for the serious case of forgetfulness I had suffered through all day. I figured it mainly derived from how busy I and America had been in the rush of making sure the party would run smoothly.

 _Speaking of America._ I ran up to the front, and was grateful to see no blood stains marring the floor. However, I also saw no nations. Thus I turned into the kitchen and stopped when I caught sight of a familiar face.

"Hey, America." I greeted cheerfully, though I gave him an odd look as I noted he was scarfing down the weird ice cream from before.

"Mmh? Whaff?" America asked with a mouthful of ice cream, which caused me to grimace.

"Any reason you're eating the entire sundae by yourself?" I questioned as an ice breaker.

"I saw it melting, and no reason to waste good ice cream!" America concluded, finishing up the ice cream in one more bite, though the average person probably would of had to take five bites to finish it off.

 _Okay, ew._ I shook my head to get rid of my revulsion as America got back up to return to the party.

"Hold up a sec." I told him, causing America to turn back to me with curiosity evident in his eyes. "I actually wanted to tell you something." I briefly turned my back to him and reached for the handle of a cabinet above the sink.

"Now I know you probably weren't expecting this." I pulled the large bag out and held it behind my back as I turned to face America, who was staring at me with a question in his eyes. "But for you and the...others..." My excited voice trailed off as I became a specter to a match straight from medieval times.

"Is that the best you got? Perhaps you've drank too many glasses of wine if your defense is so poor!" Britain said with a smirk, his hair looking unkempt and his uniform scratched up. Also, he was holding the sharp end of his sword up to France's chest.

Neither seemed to be aware Canada was standing right next to them with a fretful expression. He softly interjected, "Guys, I don't think you should do this. It's America's party and-

"Honhon!" France scoffed, appearing unconcerned by the tip on his chest. "At least it takes me a few glasses! I heard you could get drunk from a cup of apple cider!" France taunted with a haughty air to him.

"For crying out loud." I groaned while I yanked out two of the boxes from the bag, though only Canada seemed to hear me.

"That's not true! I can hold my liquor better than that!" Britain looked ready to skewer France, but before he got the chance, I slammed my box on the top of the sword, knocking it away from the Frenchman.

"Here." I shoved the blue gift wrapped box into France's chest and he grabbed it instinctively.

"Let's trade." I took the sword from Britain and pushed a white colored present in place of it.

"One for you." I handed the red colored present to Canada with more gentleness and he received it kindly.

"And of course you." I swiveled to America and handed him a red, white, and blue gift wrapped box. Then I crossed my arms in satisfaction while a moment of silence prevailed over us. On the other hand, the nations stared down at the presents in their hands as if they had never seen one before.

"May, what is this?" Canada was surprisingly the first one to speak.

"It's your anniversary present of course." I explained, sending a soft smile to all.

"Anniversary of what?" Britain questioned.

"Yeah, dude, it's not July yet!" America announced with a confused frown.

I felt my eyes shine a bit as I clarified, "I guess it's the anniversary of our first meeting." Most of them blinked as if they didn't fully comprehend, but I merely graced them all with a radiant smile. "It's a few months late, but I needed time to find something for all of you. Some of you I had a lot of trouble finding that perfect gift to give you..." I trailed off, my eyes lingering on America before I looked at the entire group whom stared at me uncertainly.

"I never really got a chance to thank _all_ of you guys for your help since I got here." I continued on, fighting the urge to look away as I pulled my hands behind my back to prevent them from wringing together nervously. "You've all done so much for me-" I felt my voice growing more emotional than I intended so I broke off from my sentence, and I was grateful no one interrupted as I paused.

"You gave me a home in a world where my home doesn't really exist," I glanced at America while he stared at me with wide eyes. "Have put effort into helping me get back to where I belong." I glanced at Britain, and smiled softly as a bit of red laced his face. "Welcomed me," Canada was in a similar state of shock as his brother. "And to be frank, you've practically saved my life." I rested my eyes on France, and I thought he looked stunned to silence.

"I wouldn't have got by this well if I hadn't met you guys... God, I've no idea what I would have done all alone in this world... So thanks." I let out a whoosh for a relieved sigh, glancing down as I could no longer hold my gaze with anyone _(curse you lingering shy tendencies!)_.

I felt the heavy weight of their gazes boring into me, but I felt myself losing control so I didn't dare meet anyone's eyes as I urged, "No need for the suspense, just open them up already." I looked up just enough to stare at the presents in their hands but didn't dare look up further.

 _Riiippp!_ I watched the white wrapping paper fall to the ground as the pale hand tore the box open, and I traced the hand up to Britain's blank face. He was staring intently down at the gift while the rest of us looked at him with anticipation.

"...A scarf?" Britain muttered to himself, pulling out the red cloth material. I felt my heartbeat speed up as I braced myself for whatever reaction the quick tempered, often ill tempered, nation was going to have.

Britain stretched out the scarf so we could all see the white embroidered words in the middle of it. "'Lord, what fools these mortals be'... A Midsummer Night's Dream." Britain read the quote and then looked up at me for confirmation.

"Yup, straight from Shakespeare's famous comedic play." I shook my head up and down proudly. "I think I saw it in your house the first day we met." I added as an afterthought.

"It's not really as popular of a play where I come from, but I figured you still liked it." I explained myself almost defensively, since I couldn't make out Britain's expression as he stared down at the embroidered British flag at the very end of the scarf. "And back in my world, I noticed you like embroidery and the quote just really sounded like something you might say. Heck, I feel that way about people all the time." I hushed myself as I noted Britain's face was deepening into a warmer hue.

"I-I.." It took me a moment, but when Britain's mouth shut, I realized that hue wasn't an angry red. In fact, it was a nice shade of pink as Britain stammered to himself. He was staring at me with some strange expression of appreciation, but it seemed like he was also trying very hard to remain stoic.

 _Crap, I think I broke the tsundere._ I was near questioning whether he needed a doctor as Britain's face contorted into another set of fleeting emotions, which were gone before I could discern them. In the end, Britain's tsundere pride was saved by none other than France.

"Surely I have something much better than a mere scarf! She loves me much more than you of course." France announced, breaking the tension in the room as he winked at me right before diving into his gift.

 _I think I actually owe him for that... Naw, the gift leaves us even._ We watched the blue wrapper fall apart as France opened the gift box in a haste.

Despite the rush, he lifted the object from the box with due care. "…A flower?"

"It's a lily." I announced, yet France did not say a thing as he observed the small plant in a pot. "...That _is_ your national flower, right?" I felt self-doubt creep into my heart when he no immediate reply was forthcoming.

"Yes, I have a few of them in my garden." France said in a small voice, and I felt dismayed that I might have given him something he already had. "But I have not seen my garden at home in a long time." France admitted with a smile.

Then, with a lecherous grin, he blew me a kiss while announcing, "I shall accept this gift as proof of your undying love for me!" Suddenly France was under the spotlight and the rest of the room seemed to darken as he dramatically held up the potted flower, though I merely gave him an incredulous look.

 _And now I know who America got his selective hearing from. Go figure, America's got more French to him than I thought._

"Shut up, numbskull!" Britain smacked France on the back of his head and the room reverted to normal lighting. "That isn't at all what she said."

An irritated tick mark appeared on France's head as he retorted, "Excusez-moi! But it's clear to hear the truth beneath her words." France took on a haughty air while continuing, "She just didn't say it to save your pathetic feelings, and-" I decided to block out the rest of the conversation and return my attention to the two other nations.

I felt shock display on my face when I found that America's gift was already open and he was lifting up the object inside as if it was going to fall apart, or perhaps more like it was a priceless item. "A comic book?" America questioned, until he noticed the front cover was a bit off.

"Eagleman and Maybird?" Canada questioned the title he could see, giving me an odd look.

"It's an inside joke." I whispered back to him as America started flipping through the pages, his face unreadable to me.

"You drew this?" I could hear a touch of surprise in his tone.

"Actually, I traced a couple of Batman and Robin comics, and then added my own dialogue so I couldn't be sued." I laughed somewhat nervously, not willing to admit my drawing abilities were lacking like my cooking ability.

 _I really hope he likes it._ Out of everyone, America was by far the hardest to find a gift for.

 _What to get for the man who has everything?_ America's wants were plain to see, the problem was he tended to get whatever he wanted before it could be given to him.

Yet I couldn't decipher America's reaction to my gift as he looked down at the comic book, with all its somewhat childish drawings _(compared to my time's comics),_ as if it were a serious piece of literature. I knew he wasn't actually reading it, in fact, he appeared to be skimming it as he flipped through the pages often, but there was a delicacy to his actions. Thus, I held my breath in anticipation when he finally closed the book and looked up.

"Dude..." America's voice had an odd tinge to it that I couldn't for the life of me understand, though his taken aback look was obvious with his wide eyes (are they shimmering?) and near wobbly smile.

"THIS IS TOTALLY THE BEST COMIC EVER!" America's arms were suddenly on me and I was crushed like a squeaky toy in the hands of a toddler. Fortunately, it was less than a bear hug but I was still left breathless as he released me. America opened his mouth to say more but it promptly shut when a large crash rang through the air. Everybody seemed to hear it as even France and Britain were trapped in awkward fighting positions since they had been in the middle of small brawl.

"I'm not paying for that, aru!" A familiar stereotypically Asian voice shouted from somewhere in the living room.

"It would not have fell if you just agreed to become one with Russia, da?" The faint words of Russia's voice could also be picked up and I saw America's joyous expression morph into an annoyed scowl.

"GET OFF MY PROPERTY, COMMIE!" America proclaimed, and suddenly a shotgun had fallen into his hands. On instinct, France cowered off to the side, my eyes probably became the size of the moon, and even Britain stared at America like he had lost his mind.

America then gave a battle cry as he charged into the living room area. Immediately following, gunshots could be heard ricocheting off solid objects.

"Watch where you aim, ignorant westerner!"

"Is this some sort of game, comrade?"

"EAT LEAD AND DIE, YA SNOWFLAKE!"

"What a silly game. Why would I eat such thing?"

I blinked as the conversation faded and was overcome by gunshots, insults about Americans with no aim, and somewhat creepy laughter from Russia.

"Canada," I whispered, causing the nation to stare at me in slight shock. "Open the gift and use it... _Now_." I emphasized, and hearing something in my tone, Canada obliged. He hurried to tear off the wrapping paper while France and Britain resumed their scuffle.

"A book?" Canada asked, staring curiously at the handmade book as he opened it.

"Yeah, it's basically a coupon book, but trust me it's better than it sounds. You can use any of those at any time and I promise I'll do it." I explained, while Canada stared at all the written coupons labeled under various situations. "Scroll to the last pages." I suggested, feeling myself boiling with irritation as France and Britain's duel got closer to my occupied space.

"For Allies Meetings?" Canada read aloud before he read the title of the first coupon. "Free aid to escape chaos?"

"Yes, indeed, want to use that coupon now?" I questioned, and Canada looked thoughtful.

 _Bang!_ A piece of drywall fell in front of as a shot rang out, and some white dust fell in our hair.

"WHY WON'T YOU HOLD STILL, COMMIE?!"

"It seems you are just bad at game, da? That is why you're upset."

"THIS ISN'T A GAME!"

"Why did I even come here, aru?!"

"I'll have you know the English have always been the best swordsmen!"

"Honhon!"

Canada ripped the coupon out and handed it to me without a word and merely an exasperated look to his face; borderline despair.

"Your car or mine?" I asked as I grabbed America's car keys from the kitchen counter he had left them on.

"Doesn't matter, eh."

"My car it is."

We both hurried out the front door and quickly ended up in America's car with the engine running.

"But what are we going to do now?" Canada's question caused my wide grin to get bigger.

"It's not a question of 'what we're going to do' but 'what aren't we going to do?'"

Canada didn't get another word in as I sped off.

* * *

 **"Time** abides long enough for those who make use of it." ~Leonardo da Vinci **  
**

* * *

**So, you like?**

 **I sure did! It was so much fun writing this one!**

 **Anyway, next time the Allies will be meeting at a place most people wouldn't expect and there's going to be a decent sized revelation revealed there. I've been hinting something about May since chapter 3, so if you're a mind reader, you'll have your theory confirmed by next chapter.**

 **Until then, byes!**


	21. Chapter 21: A Part of Me

**Wow, guys! Thanks for all your lovely reviews! There were so many that I felt a little tear run down my eye. Or at least I would of if I was crier, but I'm not, so I was just wore a large smile on my face for a while.**

 **Also, sorry I took so long to update but college has started back up and I've been really busy. Plus my laptop is in the reapir shop. I hope this really long chapter makes up for it.**

 **Disclaimer: I haven't spontaneously became rich or a president, so I can't claim to own any Hetalia countries. Though months are cheaper than nations so I own May...the character of course.**

* * *

 **Frozen** (also know as **Stilled** ): Incapable of being changed or undone

* * *

 _May 1943_

 _Does that even count as inconsistency? It could be that the anime didn't show it, but it still happened in this world._

I scratched out some of the writing in the notebook since I was unconvinced the incident had been an inconsistency and felt it required a second glance. All the while I tried to block out the heated dialogue coming from around the table.

"We've been waiting over twenty minutes! I've better things to do!"

"Oui! You could be spending this time letting me design your uniform so you can stop looking like a ruffian!"

"I look fine as I am! Now get your rose out of my face!"

"Not that I care if that commie shows up, but even China's already here, and that's totally saying something!"

"Shut up, aru!"

 _Ugh, they're ruining my thought process._ I released a harsh sigh as I found myself subconsciously drawn to their conversation.

"May, are you okay?" Canada's timid question barely broke through the myriad of voices speaking. I looked over to his spot on the left, and could easily discern the honest worry in his violet eyes, though I was certain he only saw fraying patience in my blue ones.

"Yeah, I'm just having trouble figuring out how much my presence is affecting this world, which is hard to estimate by itself without this-" I gestured to the crowd of babbling nations. "To distract me." I didn't restrain the irritation from slipping into my tone, knowing Canada would realize it wasn't aimed at him.

"Hm." Canada made a soft sound of acknowledgement, but he seemed just as aware as I was that my problem was beyond him. Sadly, I felt it may have been beyond me too as I returned my gaze to my notes.

 _Now if only I can figure out if Canada was in that episode. Did the anime not show him to emphasize his invisible quality? Or was he never supposed to be there? Ughhh, I don't know!_ I mentally screamed and had a strong urge to slam my fist into the table.

"Huh?!"

My head shot up when it suddenly came to my attention that an attendant was standing nearby, though that wasn't shocking in itself since the Allies occasionally had attendants serve snacks during meetings. The only issue here was how the attendant was staring at me in all my 21st century glory. No doubt he had been prepared to ask whether I needed anything, but had became tongue-tied after he took in my outfit.

 _I forgot a non-nation was going be here today._ In his defense, I knew the white hoodie, with a purposely faded image of a flowing American flag on it, and the black sweatpants I wore were hardly common clothing in the 20th century.

"What 'sup?" I reluctantly acknowledged the man's presence over the content of my notebook.

"Would you like some tea? Or coffee?" The man found his voice, though a heavily accented one, but I managed to figure out what he was saying.

"Naw, I'm good, 'cous." I replied dismissively, unaware that he might not comprehend my modern slang while I rubbed my eyes.

 _I love you caffeine, but I think we need some time apart._ While some of me itched to cave into my body's desire for the caffeine aroma emitting from a nearby mug, the rational section of my brain reminded me that I had already drank a dozen cups of coffee in the past two days and how that wasn't exactly healthy.

 _Its not my fault. I need to figure this out._ I hadn't slept in the past three days, which I didn't find troublesome because being frozen in time, along with excessive amounts of caffeine in my blood, kept me feeling wide awake. However, I was aware I would soon be suffering from the dreaded low that came after a caffeine high and not even my frozen in time status would be able to keep me up once it hit.

"No?" The man didn't sound too certain about my answer, but he still walked off while I went back to concentrating on the information in the notebook.

 _No more procrastinating, you've got to figure this out!_ I tried to regain my focus.

"I'm sorry that I'm late." The familiar Russian accented voice caused me and Canada to look up as the missing nation burst into the room. "I had to take care of something." He spoke with an innocent smile, but I chocked on a gasp when I took in his full appearance.

 _Ya good, Russia?! 'Cause I think Al Capone has "taken care of" people less obviously!_ My eyes were wide while I stared at the bright red staining the bottom of Russia's coat. Yet I seemed to be the only one disturbed by the sight of blood as all the other nations, even Canada, didn't blink at Russia's "serial killer" look. To make certain I wasn't seeing things, I searched for the only other non-nation in the room to see how he was reacting.

 _There he is._ The attendant didn't seem to have noticed Russia's appearance yet.

Thus he calmly walked behind Britain with a glass of water on his platter while the irritated Brit interrogated, "What took you so long? Were you busy selling vodka or something?" Britain was more brash than usual with Russia, but I figured his anger of having to wait so long had blinded him to the danger of upsetting Russia.

"My boss caught me right when I was leaving. I got a really raw deal." Russia explained, unperturbed by Britain's hostility, even appearing mildly guilty for being late. "He told me to stop tanks with my bare hands." Russia concluded, causing America spring out of his seat in order to examine him closer.

"Did you do it?" America asked, oblivious, and I was certain I wasn't the only one to face palm over his question.

"Ah... I-Is he alright?!" The attendant suddenly noticed the blood dripping off Russia and seemed horrified.

 _So I'm not seeing things, I'm just surrounded by insane nations... Must be a Monday... A Manic Monday..._ I briefly smiled to myself over the pun.

"It's nothing new for Russia." France responded in an careless manner, causing the attendant to look even more freaked out.

"что?!" The attendant shouted in what sounded like Russian, though I barely overheard it as France started showering Russia in compliments, probably in a ploy to get on the nation's good side.

 _This again?_ I ignored the countries in favor of watching the Russian attendant cautiously step away from the table. Likely he was thinking of seeking a new career or at least to never cater to our group again, and by the time he reached the doorway, he was practically sprinting away from us.

I shook my head in shame before addressing Canada. "I know you guys probably aren't super familiar with what us mortal humans see as odd, but you could at least _try_ not to terrify them all?" I asked, exasperation lining my tone.

Canada looked at me quizzically before he noticed that the attendant had disappeared. "Eh? That's the fifth one this month-" I felt startled by his admittance, but we both hushed on instinct as a sickly purple mist abruptly began to fill the room.

"Why don't we try making your gum bleed a little?" Russia questioned, his smile bright, though the way he was practically in America's face revealed his true feelings.

"No thank you!" America spoke with a grin of his own, however, I couldn't tell whether he was oblivious or uncaring to the danger he was in.

"Hey, Britain! Stop them!" France cried out from his chair, which was dangerously close to the confrontation. Thus, we all turned to Britain in expectancy while the tense aura thickened.

"..." Britain didn't hold anybody's eye as he seemed filled with trepidation at the suggestion. Clearly, without his prior irritation to fuel him, he was as terrified of Russia as usual.

 _I ain't about this dying life, so if someone could do something that would be nice._

No one was willing to intervene, not even me _(I'm brave, not stupid!)._ Therefore, in attempt to escape what could get bloody, I twisted in my seat to face Canada.

"Got an excuse to get us out of here?" I requested, and then waited patiently while Canada started searching through his suitcase. Quickly, he tugged out the coupon book, which both of us had grown familiar with over the past few months.

 _Glad he's actually using it._ I knew Canada wasn't the type to ask anything of anyone, even if he wanted to, which is why I had gave him a coupon book. Instead of having to muster up the courage to speak, he could use the book as an excuse to talk to me without over exerting himself. Though I found it adorable how he always asked whether it was really okay for him to request this or that and how I didn't have to do it if I don't want to _(typical Canada)_.

"They're gone." I followed Canada's gaze, and noted that all the coupons below the "escape meetings" page were missing.

"Just great." I muttered sarcastically, watching America and Russia's interaction with growing worry. "Why can't the world be full of a hundred Canadas?!" I asked with exaggerated despair.

Canada didn't have time to reply before Russia suddenly started to chuckle.

"..." I think we all found his laughter eerie until we sensed the tension in the room drop to safe levels. "I was just the kidding with you." Russia admitted, smiling more genuinely, and America blinked in confusion before he laughed in return like he had known all along _(doubtful)_.

"I-I suppose we should get this meeting started then?" Britain finally gathered the courage to interrupt. Hence, Russia took his seat by France while America returned to his place beside me. I wanted to hit him upside the head for being so reckless, but I held myself back and resumed my conversation with Canada.

"At least we won't have to deal with you-know-who again." I mentioned idly, placing a hand under my chin while I watched the meeting commence with Britain taking the lead.

"That's good, eh? He can be, um, intrusive when we're together." Canada said in the kindest way possible.

 _True dat!_ I recalled the various times America had barged in on my and Canada's recent escapades, which had been happening more often lately due to the coupon book.

 _He's so noisy!_ To be honest, I didn't mind the fact America would frequently interrupt my and Canada's conversations because I felt it was good for Canada to have more interaction with his brother. Also, it was nice to spend time with a nation that America approved of associating with me.

 _I don't need his approval._ I huffed to myself, yet I acknowledged it would be harder to enjoy myself if they didn't get along. Therefore it was fortunate, after my reassurance that I did not favor Canada over him, America seemed pretty comfortable with the friendly relationship I had with his brother.

 _Maybe too comfortable._ To my and Canada's chagrin, it seemed America had picked up on my moderate attraction to Canada _(can't blame me!)_ , and rather enjoyed using that knowledge to tease the both of us.

 _America poked his head in the dining room, and with an oh so innocent grin, questioned, "So did y'all get hitched yet?" Thus I nearly performed a spit take of my coffee while Canada just looked confused._

 _"W-what are you talking about, America?"_

 _"You know," America continued causally. "Did you make May into my sister-in-law yet?" The dawning of understanding appeared on Canada's face and his eyes widened. "You shouldn't keep my favorite gal waiting when you see the way she sighs over you- Oof!" I hopped to my feet and elbowed him in the ribs. My blushing was only less prominent than Canada's because my irritated scowl covered it up._

 _"...Too far?" America didn't have much time to brace himself before I tackled him to the ground and Canada was staring at us like we were insane-_

"Are you feeling alright?" Canada asked, removing me from my world of memories. "You're face looks a little red." Canada asked in concern, but I felt myself mildly embarrassed that the emotions of the past had caught up to me in present day. It didn't help that I was sitting right next to the source of my embarrassment.

"I-I'm fine." I turned my face away, hoping to rid myself of the blush by focusing on someone else.

"Sluuuuurrppp!" I watched America drink loudly from his soda and I knew I couldn't be the only cringing at his lack of manners.

Britain glared at him before clearing his throat and continuing, "As I was-"

"Sluuurrrppp!"

"...Attempting to-"

"Sluuurrrppp!"

"...say," Britain ignored America's interruptions, merely rubbed his forehead in frustration, and for once seemed unwilling to start an argument with him. It was rare, but every now an then, even Britain didn't feel the need to chide him.

 _Good. They fighting way too much and about everything. Heck, they even fight over me!_ In a manner resembling two kids attempting to beat each other at tug-of-war, they frequently argued about all matters concerning me.

 _And then revealed that the murderer was-_

 _"Yo, dude!" America's shout nearly caused me to fall out of my chair and drop the book. However, I quickly reoriented myself and looked up to find America hovering by me. I was also a bit surprised to glance around and see none of the other nations in the room._

 _"What are you doing? We gotta get home and pick up some burgers!" America asked while I got up and carried the book with both hands._

 _"Sorry, I just got really caught up in this story." I held up the novel for America to see. "I can't resist the writing of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle after all." I sighed happily._

 _"Oh." America stared at the book, an odd look briefly crossing his face as he seemed to recognize it, while I took the initiative to walk towards the exit. "Where'd you get it from?"_

 _"I found it lying on the table." I passed through the doorway but looked over my shoulder to continue the conversation with America. "I think someone must have left it be-"_

 _"Oh, my book!" Britain's voice caused me to snap my head in his direction._

 _...Was he just chilling out here the whole time?_

 _"How foolish of me to forget it on the table." Britain sounded a little off when he reached for the book and I allowed him to take it. "At least you enjoyed the reading, correct?" Britain questioned expectantly while America came up behind me._

 _"I thought it was really good! Especially when Sherlock-"_

 _"Let's get those burgers!" America suddenly grabbed my arm and was rushing us out the building. Yet I didn't fail to notice Britain hadn't looked angered by the interruption, but in fact, appeared to almost be smirking._

 _I was also fairly certain that it was no accident how I found another book lying on the table at the next day's meeting. Though this one had been written by Mark Twain, and as I reached for it in order to free myself of boredom, I had the oddest feeling I was being watched intensely. And I certainly noted the triumphant smile America sent Britain after I returned America's "missing" novel to him._

I sighed while observing both Britain and America, one of them do his best to lead and the other stuffing his face with fries.

 _I'm really getting tired of being a mouse in a maze with those two._ While I didn't think America ultimately had much of a problem with the friendship I held with Britain, I was certain that it annoyed him a bit. Perhaps it was jealousy that another country was a friend of mines or maybe it was simply because Britain and him had the annoying tendency to fight over everything in the universe. Whichever it was, I was determined to find out eventually.

 _On the bright side, it's better than his deal with France._ I glanced over at the European nation who currently happened to be powdering his nose.

 _Can't blame him when French fries annoys me too._ I didn't actively seek out France's company, but he always managed to find me.

 _"Mon amour, je veux voir plus de vous." France stood in the doorway, halting my attempt to follow America out._

 _I raised an eyebrow at the "charming" smile he sent at me, and then I crossed my arms. "I've got three things to say." I raised my pointer finger. "One: Flynn does the smolder face a lot better than you and he's a Disney prince for goodness sake." I lifted my chin up to stand taller as I briefly pondered on what to say next._

 _In Spanish, "veer" means to "see" and that sounds like "voir". "Plus" might relate to "plus" in English which implies larger or "more". And "de" means "of" in Spanish and probably means the same in French. Then "vous" sounds a lot like the Spanish "vosotros", which means "you"._

 _Making an educated guess, I announced, "Second, I took enough Spanish to know your saying something about 'seeing more of me' and I sincerely hope you mean that in a way where my clothes stay on." I sighed, yet France merely smiled wider._

 _"Spanish?! My dear, you would of done better to study French! Then you and me could speak more freely on matters of love without the others-"_

 _"Thirdly," I interrupted, looking past France's shoulder to see the ticket to my freedom. "You're still a French fry, France, and I don't know if you noticed," The temperature dropped in the room and even France's face fell as he sensed the sudden danger. "Us Americans like to eat french fries for breakfast."_

 _"Hey there, Frenchie!" America shouted from his place behind France. I had apparently been the only one to notice his arrival seconds ago, as France jumped up about a mile in surprise and bumped his head on the doorway in result._

 _"Woah, dude! I didn't know you could jump so high!"_

 _France's only response was to moan in pain, from where he collapsed onto the floor, while I bypassed him to enter the hallway._

 _"...Is he alright?"_

 _"He'll walk it off...probably..."_

I dragged my eyes away from France when I observed how he had finally put down his mirror and was now looking around the room in boredom. Before he ended up noticing my staring, I let my eyes roam over to China. He appeared to be one of the few nations actually paying Britain proper attention. Despite his attention though, he still seemed very aware of his surroundings as he didn't need to glance away from the front board before he smacked away one of Russia's hands, which had been inching closer to him.

 _I don't really know him._ Honestly, I and China rarely talked more than likely because our paths never really crossed. I'd greet him at meetings, but besides that, we usually didn't associate.

 _I think I talked to him about Chinese dishes once. Didn't he give me the recipe for T'so chicken?_ The memory was blurry, which provided more evidence that it was rare for the two of us to converse.

 _Did I ever thank him for that recipe?_ Suddenly China's back stiffened, and as if sensing my staring, he started to glance around the room. This led me to immediately shifting my eyes to observe the nation on his right.

 _Now here's a nation I seriously don't talk to._ Russia was also paying attention to the discussion of battle strategies and how the war was going for Britain, and his smile remained planted on his face despite the serious problems being discussed.

 _It's not really my fault I don't talk to him._ Though America often seemed comfortable with Canada, competitive with Britain, wary of France, and indifferent to China most days, he was entirely antagonistic towards Russia. Therefore, if he had anything to say about it, I was to be nowhere near said nation. It didn't bother me that much, considering how I felt a tad wary of Russia myself, but even if I wanted to establish a relationship with him, I couldn't.

 _He doesn't even approve of Russia glancing in my direction._ If America caught Russia standing a mere foot beside me or sitting in the next seat over, he always found a way to get inbetween us. I think Russia actually found it amusing, which would explain why he had recently made a lot more attempts to sit next to me at meetings than he had in the past. It was simply meant to get a reaction from America who was not above telling the European to "back off!", though in more explicit terms.

"Staring. Staring. Staring." The whispered words coming from seemingly nowhere caused my mind to jumpstart and return to the present. As my eyes refocused, I suddenly noticed Russia was looking back at me.

"..." I wasn't sure what to do now that I had been caught gawking at him, but for the sake of politeness, I decided it was best to send a small, friendly smile to Russia.

In response, Russia's grin grew, however, I couldn't help but shudder a bit as I took in his eyes.

 _It's like staring into the abyss of darkness!_ Soon, I couldn't maintain eye contact so I forced my eyes downward and pretended to be reading my notes again.

* * *

"Save yourself, dudeeeee!" America's shout faded as he sped out of the door, his boots tossing snow back in his haste, while a breeze of cold wind assaulted me before the door shut. Thankfully, I had thrown my black coat and gloves on so I wasn't too bothered by the temperature.

"He does realize there are probably no American restaurants in this entire country, right?" I muttered offhandedly, for once not joining my nation on a food run. Since the meeting was in a building far from any Russian city, with only planes as our mode of travel because cars weren't efficient on the occasional icy road, America had packed burgers so we wouldn't have to travel for food. Yet, that plan had crashed and burned when lunch break began and he realized he had already ate it all. Now, to make it up to me despite my assurance I could go without lunch, he had insisted on flying to the nearest restaurant while I waited here.

 _I could spend this time looking for my scarf._ Somehow I had managed to lose the blue article of clothing on my way to the meeting room this morning. I recalled having the scarf on as I exited the plane, but I realized it wasn't in my bag when I put my coat back on after we went on break.

 _Where could it have gone?_ Since I was near the building's entrance, I started walking towards the meeting room because I assumed the scarf must of fallen in the hallway. I scanned the ground as I walked, not truly looking ahead, which is why I was startled when a dark brown lump suddenly ran up to me.

"Meow." I stared blankly at what I now recognized to be a very fluffy and large cat.

 _Aw, now where did this little fur ball of joy come...from... Is this Russia-cat?!_ It had taken me a moment to rid myself of the blinding effect of kawaii!, but now it was obvious this feline was more than likely the nation cat.

"Meow-meow." The cat spoke happily, it's head bobbing, as if he was answering my mental question before he strutted over to my legs and rubbed against them.

 _I'm not sure if this version of Russia is trying to become one with me by stealing my heart with his cute little paws and fluffy fur and pretty eyes...but I'm not fighting it!_

"You're such a cute boy, aren't you?" The cat started purring as he rubbed against my leg and I wondered if I was so far gone in kawaii! that I had anime hearts in my eyes while I bent down to pet his head.

"MEOOOW!" The defiant screech caused me to freeze and lift my head just in time to see a tan blur lunging towards the Russian. However, I doubted I or America-cat saw Russia-cat duck before my poor nation was soaring above his intended target and crashed into the hallway wall.

"Oooh." I winced in pain for my feline companion as the bang resounded in the hallway, but I wasn't too surprised when America-cat merely straightened himself out a second later. Then he swiveled towards me with less grace than usual and his eyes locked onto the larger cat standing by me.

"Meeeooow!" He screeched and lunged towards Russia-cat again, said feline seeming more humored than afraid of his antics, but I decided to intervene regardless.

"Hold up, Ameri-bro!" I grabbed him by his thick collar before he could rush at Russia-cat. I soon found myself struggling to maintain my hold.

 _No, I'm not about to have those mochi shorts come to life!_ I recalled the bloody encounter the mochi versions of Russia and America had in World Twinkle with great disdain.

"Chill out!" I ordered when America-cat continued to reach his clawed paws out towards Russia-cat.

"Meow-meow. Meooow?" Russia-cat sounded harmless as he stared up at us, but whatever he said couldn't have been that innocent because it caused America-cats's ears to flatten against his head and his attempts to free himself intensified. Unprepared for the fierce struggle, he wiggled out of my grasp.

"Meooow!" He ran straight for Russia-cat, who quickly decided to use me for cover and started to run around me. Within seconds, I felt like a Looney Tunes' character while I watched the cats chase each other in circles around my legs.

"Uhhh..." I wasn't certain how to stop the little rascals, but it seemed I didn't have to as Russia-cat leapt out of the circular path and planted himself on the sideline.

"Meow-meow." It nearly sounded like Russia-cat was chuckling as we both watched America-cat continue to run in circles around me, without realizing he was no longer chasing anyone.

"...?" I knew I was sweat dropping as I watched the American feline zoom around me. I might of allowed him to continue, but then I remembered my scarf was still missing so I decided to end this.

"Alfie? Alfieeee?" I called, but the cat continued running like one of those toy planes attached to a string hanging off the ceiling. "America-cat!" I shouted loudly, and finally he heard me and skidded to a stop. Immediately, he glanced around in confusion.

 _Know what? I'm done catsitting._

I sighed and pointed down the hall I had came from. "He went that way." America-cat eyed where I was pointing, a determined glint entered his eyes, and then he jetted off. I actually wasn't certain where Russia-cat had ran off, but I couldn't bring myself to care before resuming my search.

 _The room should be coming up._ I walked further down the hall while hoping I wouldn't get lost since I wasn't familiar with the layout of this building. After all, it was rare for the Allies to come here because the freezing winter and late spring _(it can snow in May!)_ made travel harder in comparison to other countries. Also, I was under the impression everyone trusted Russia the least due to his past dealings with Germany and communism.

 _Poor Russia. The minute this war ends a lot of countries aren't going to remain by his side._ My ponderings ended when my ears caught onto the sound of voices.

 _I guess most nations packed and stuck around... Speaking of nations, I wonder if Canada ran off to get his lunch._ When I neared the corner of the hallway, I slowed because I didn't want to intrude on their conversation.

"You do not feel same way about brash America?" I came to a dead stop at the sound of Russia's voice.

"W-Why would I want to do that?! Sure he's annoying but that doesn't mean I have any desire to 'squish' him!" I peeked around the corner in order to confirm that it was indeed Russia and Britain speaking.

 _Strange, I don't think the anime's ever shown them hold an actual conversation... Welp, I'm out!_ While I did feel bad about abandoning Britain, I didn't feel comfortable being near Russia on most days; let alone when America was gone. And though I could handle myself, Russia never came off as approachable to me.

 _Plus America would have a fit._ America would never actually prevent me from speaking to whoever I wanted _(land of the free, remember?)_ , but l felt like I would be betraying him if I started talking to Russia. Sort of like when I was friend's with Armani in high school, but one of my other friends couldn't stand her. She tended to talk about Armani in not so flattering terms, and while I never said much on the matter for the sake of maintaining peace between me and her, I sometimes felt like I was betraying Armani simply by hanging out with that friend.

 _To be fair, it's not like Russia isn't just as antagonist towards America._

"Oh, it seem we have visitor." I had gotten so lost in thought that I had given Russia time to catch sight of me.

 _Dang it!_ A part of me wanted to flee, but I still needed to check if my scarf was nearby and I didn't want to be rude to Russia. Therefore, I reluctantly walked over to the pair.

"M-may? What are you doing here?" Britain sounded shaky as he faced me, which was to be expected considering who he had just spoken to. "Shouldn't you be with America?" Britain held a quizzical expression, though his eyes leaned more towards sympathetic as we both were now trapped in Russia's presence.

"Yeah, but he left to find burgers." I explained with a bit of humor as the ridiculousness of the statement hit me.

"Haha, America will not find that in my land." Russia briefly chuckled in what seemed to be genuine amusement.

"True, but you know how he can be." I mentioned, a little disturbed by the way Russia's attention shifted to me at the words. In fact, the only thing preventing me from running was how I at least had Britain right beside me.

"That is fine. It is easier to squish them when they are not smart." Russia mentioned happily while I and Britain gave him disturbed looks.

 _Maybe he won't notice if I back up real slow-_

"Can't believe this, aru! I would of raise him better!" The shout distracted us from the uncomfortable moment and we all turned to see China muttering to himself as he passed through the adjacent hallway. _Wow, he looks pissed._ I found it odd how China was so upset that he didn't notice us, especially because China wasn't the explosive type.

"It seem our ally is angry, da? I should follow and make sure he is alright." Russia also noted China's unusual behavior and didn't hesitate to leave in order to check on _(more like pester)_ China.

"Talk about being saved by the bell... I miss that show." I muttered, causing Britain to send me a confused expression.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I basically said I'm glad China came when he did."

"I concur." Britain nodded.

 _Should of asked him about the scarf though_. A mindful voice in my head reminded me that Russia might of understood my particular dilemma.

"Aw man, I forgot to ask him about my scarf!" I shouted, mentally chiding myself.

"Your scarf?" Britain's eyes dropped to my bare neck.

"Yeah, I think I dropped it around here." I looked down as another thought occurred to me. "But maybe it's not in here. I should check outside-"

"You'll do no such thing!" The vehemence of Britain's declaration caused me to snap to attention. "You can't go outside without proper protection or you'll become ill!" Britain concluded, the suddenness of scolding preventing me from formulating a response. Thus, I felt frozen as I watched him tug out a white scarf from his uniform pocket.

"I was..." I couldn't get the words out before Britain tossed his scarf around my neck and then started looping it.

"America must be infecting you with his idiocy if you have such foolish ideas-" Britain's words sounded muted when this scenarios brought up an old memory.

 _"I'm gonna make a snow angel!" I was perhaps six as I threw on my pink bubble coat and struggled into my white boots by the front door._

 _"Don't forgot your scarf!" My mother called out from the kitchen, but I barely heard her as I tugged open the door and ran into the front yard. Soon after, I flopped onto a soft patch of snow before spreading my arms out._

 _"Didn't I tell you to put on your scarf?" My mother had made to the doorway and poked her head out to stare at me knowingly. She was holding a soft frown as she hid most of her body in the warm house._

 _"Oh, let her live a bit." My father came to my rescue as he walked pass her while wearing his own bubble coat._

 _My mother raised an eyebrow at the lack of a hat or scarf on my father's head before saying, "Fine. When you both get a cold, I'm not helping." My mother tisked to herself before shutting the door._

 _My father shrugged off her threat, probably used to her mother henning, as I got up and looked down at my creation in the snow._

 _"That's a pretty angel there, scout." My father noted with a proud smile. "But she'll be a lonely angel if we don't give her a friend."_

 _My eyes lit up at the prospect. "Like a snowman?!" I asked hopefully. My father nodded, and for the next hour, we would fail at making a snowman._

 _Furthermore, when both my father and I were sick as dogs from our snow time adventure, my mother wouldn't say "I told you so" before making us some warm tea and giving us heated blankets-_

"There." Britain finished tying the scarf, and the pressure around my neck brought me back to the present. However, I was still reeling from the flashback and the oddness of Britain's actions so I simply blinked owlishly at him.

"...Is it too tight?" Britain questioned, his voice holding a slight hitch while light pink graced his cheeks. My staring and silence making him realize what he had just done and causing tsundere embarrassment to smack him upside the head.

"But, um, what about you?" I finally managed to speak.

"D-Don't be stupid!" Britain interjected, covering up his embarrassment with anger. "I'm not mortal like you. It's highly unlikely I'll get a cold and even if I did, it wouldn't be as worrying as you getting sick." Britain huffed.

I smiled at his tsundere moment, holding back laughs, but then offered, "Thanks, Britain."

Britain was unprepared for the acknowledgment and his face heated up more. "I-I just don't want to hear that fool complaining to me about you catching a cold!" Britain crossed his arms and looked everywhere except at me.

 _Goodness, Britain can be such a mother hen._ I kept the thought at bay, knowing Britain would be a sputtering mess if I voiced it.

"Aha! I knew you two would be sneaking around here." France suddenly stood by the corner of the hallway, his eyes narrowed at Britain.

"Whatever do you want, frog face?" Britain glared at him, all traces of embarrassment replaced by a scowl on his face.

"I want many things, Monsieur." France began, leering at him after he strolled over. "But I doubt you could help, considering you don't have an active sex life-"

"I'm going check outside for my scarf." I muttered quickly, though I doubted they heard me over their own shouting match. Thus, I began walking back towards the hallway, which lead to the exit.

 _I really don't need to hear about Britain's..._

I halted, my head went blank, and I felt my eyes widen.

 _Youzzzttt_

The buzz was swarming my brain and I felt my breathing quicken.

 _Not...now!_ It was a struggle to express the simplest of my own thoughts before the buzz dashed away any ounce of personal will I maintained.

 _Meet mezzzZZZ_

I wanted to run away, but it was as if I had taken a back seat in my own body.

 _Blue was rolling in._

Somehow, I could still hear Britain and France, though their voices were fading as fast as my sight was being overran by blue.

 _Help...Please!_ I silently prayed one of them would notice my immobile body around the corner.

 _Water's so cold..._ I knew what fainting felt like, I had been through navy training after all, but this wasn't like that.

There was no ringing in my ears, just buzzing.

There was no black spots, merely blue blue glaze coating my vision like a tide pulling in.

 _The ocean was filling and I was submerged._

 _zzZNot too long and wezzzz_

 _I was too calm, too limp to fight the waves._

 _It's alright, keep goizzz_

 _The tides rocked me like a child and the sandy bottom looked so warm._

 _Not...not right!_ _The haze of blue was losing vibrancy._

 _I reached towards the sky, away from ocean._

 _Almostzzzstop strugglzZZ_

 _Get off!_ _I resisted the warm blanket of ocean_

 _Waves sucked me down, but I paddled up up up._

 _Blue couldn't remain._

 _Come homezzz_

 _There was nothing but white_

I gasped sharply and collapsed onto my knees.

 _W-What?!_ My heart rate was dangerously high, and I didn't try to calm it while my ears were being assaulted by the harsh sound of roaring wind.

 _Where am I?_ The world was dark, light snow was whipping into my face, and I was slowly becoming very aware I wasn't alone.

 _Oh no._ If I felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest before, I was certain I was having a heart attack as three men covered in thick, black coats approached me. That wouldn't have been so intimidating by itself, but the swastika symbol on the bands around their arms was.

"What's happening?" I tried to shout, but I couldn't force my voice above a whisper. In fact, I felt so drained that I wasn't sure whether I could even lift a finger.

 _Get up!_ The order to myself was overruled by the realization that I was incapacitated. Normally, I would have a chance to fight back and win against as many as three average people. However, the probability of escape was low when I could hardly raise my head to face the one man taking the initiative and stretching his gloved hand towards me. I could make little of his expression since they all had scarves wrapped over the majority of their faces, but the Nazi symbol was threatening enough.

 _Stay away._ I was panicking over my helplessness and the uncertainty of the Nazi's intention.

"Ah!" The hand disappeared from view as the man was tossed back by an invisible force, and even his two companions seemed startled.

"I don't think you should be doing that to small girl." It turned out the force wasn't as invisible as I thought as the tall figure of Russia stalked into my view. I couldn't even fathom the suddenness of his appearance before the Nazis spun back to face him and Russia immediately yanked the gun out of one man's hands.

"Aufhalten!" I heard the other man shout above the wind after he saw Russia bring the gun down on the head of his companion.

"I'm sorry, we're you speaking?" Russia swiveled towards the German soldier, but a sudden blast of yellow light, resembling a spark of fire, erupted between them and my vision briefly went white.

I blinked furiously to clear it, and though I knew my blindness couldn't have lasted more than a ten seconds, I wondered if it had been longer when it cleared and now I only held Russia in sight.

My gaze dropped in confusion, only for me to see the unmoving form of the German soldier on the ground besides Russia's boots. "I-Is he..."

"You are hard girl to find." Russia, whether intentional or not, saved me from asking a question I probably didn't need to know the answer to. "But it's good thing your comrade found you, da?" Russia appeared to be looming over me like a skyscraper from my position on my knees, yet his presence calmed me to an extent; if only because he was a familiar face.

"Y-Yeah." I replied shakily, and with great effort, I found the strength to push myself up. I managed to ignore the protests my muscles gave at the motion, but I still wavered violently before a gloved hand fell on my shoulder and steadied me.

"Such strength from one so small." Russia commented, and I couldn't tell if it was admiration or condescending.

"Um, thanks." I began uncertainly. "B-But what's happened? Where am I? And what are you doing here?" The chills I was shaking with caused a tremble to enter my voice.

Yet Russia provided no explanation at first, but cocked his head in confusion. "That is the funny. I was going to ask you first question." His words did nothing to soothe me.

 _Crap, it's happened again._ It was obvious that I had sleepwalked all the way here, and if only to distract myself, I decided to examine the facts.

"Okay, I'm going to assume I've been gone for quite a few hours." I looked up at the dark sky.

"Da, we have been searching for eight of the hours." Russia began, speaking so causally that one could of thought he was discussing the weather. I, on the other hand, struggled not to be floored by the news.

 _Gosh, that's even longer than last time!_

Russia continued, "It could be longer though. We did not notice you gone until America returned a hour late for rest of the meeting."

I would of face palmed from the lack of notice I received but my limbs were still too shaky to respond, so I merely sighed. "Then what?"

"Then Britain said you might of gone outside to look for your scarf." I briefly fingered the white scarf still tied around my neck. I couldn't help but imagine the worry I had caused him after disappearing like that.

Though I didn't have to as Russia continued, "America ask us to search for you, and most comrades took their planes to look for you. But I know land much better than them, so I walked." Russia shrugged like he had told merely a fine tale.

 _It's a good thing he walked._ It was unlikely anyone would of spotted me in this darkened landscape.

"Wait," A random thought occurred to me. "Can we call someone?"

Russia nodded easily before he produced a large walkie-talkie from one of his coat pockets. My eyes lit up in anticipation as he fiddled with it for a few moments.

"Zzzttt," The static from the radio caused me to flinch, and I felt my heart jolt when I realized why.

 _It sounds like the buzzing that fills my head before those dreams... Is that a coincidence or-_

"ZzWhat do you wantzzz, commie?!" The voice was cascaded in static, yet I felt a large smile grace my lips at the sound of my nation's voice.

"America!" I couldn't help but shout. "It's me, May! I'm-" My words were cut off when a gloved hand unexpectedly covered my mouth.

 _T-The heck?!_ I wanted to yell, but I didn't have the strength to do more than send Russia a "what gives?!" look.

Russia ignored me and turned back to the walkie-talkie, which was currently filling the air with America's sputtered words.

"M-MAY?! IS THAT REALLY YOU?! HOW DID YOUZZZzz!"

The words fell into a jumble of static when Russia clicked a button on the device and then said, "Strange girl is not available right now, you will have to wait for us to get back before speaking to her." I could swear Russia's grin had widened.

 _Not this again._ It instantly occurred to me that Russia was taking advantage of this delicate situation and using it to mess with America; similar to him taking a seat next to me at meetings in order to get a rise from America.

"WHAT?!" America's voice screeched from the other end, loud enough to echo. "YOU PUT HER BACK ON RIGHT NOW!" America demanded. "I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOUR-"

"Actually, I don't think I will." Russia interjected. "Goodbye, America." Russia removed his hand from me to mess with the device again.

"I SWEAR, IF SHE'S GOT A SCRATHZzzttt!" America's threat faded into static before all became silent and Russia placed the walkie-talkie back into his pocket.

"That was fun, da?" Russia turned to me with a wide grin, but I could only raise an incredulous eyebrow in response.

"You can be a real sick mofo sometimes." I briefly lost control and voiced my thoughts without hesitation. Rapidly, I realized my error, and hastened to say, "Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Hehe." Russia's brief chuckle caused my mouth to shut in mild surprise. "No, it is fine, small girl. It is entertaining to see Americans act so brash." Russia laughed a bit more, but I just raised an eyebrow.

"O-Okay." I mumbled.

"But I think we should get back as soon as possible or else America might try to kill you."

"That would be funny! But we must head back because your people are weak against cold." Russia agreed, though he surprised me when he added the last part.

 _Ya think?!_ I was shivering hard, and a part of me worried I had frostbite. Though my coat, scarf, gloves, and boots might of protected me for a while, I may have been walking outside for roughly nine hours straight, and that wasn't healthy during any season.

 _Gosh, I feel heavy._ The shivering wasn't mainly from the cold, but how my energy was completely depleted. I could barely remain upright, my stomach was growling like I hadn't eaten in weeks, and my brain was becoming sluggish.

"Let's go." I said, eager at the prospect of returning to the heated meeting building. Russia nodded, and I preceded to walk. However, I think even Russia was stunned when I lifted a leg and immediately fell forward.

He barely managed to grab my collar and pull me into a shaky stand before my face hit the ground. "Small girl?" I wondered if my vision was failing or Russia actually had a small frown on his face.

"I-I cant... I can't walk." I spoke softly, and I felt a bit of anger over the admittance. It hurt my pride to acknowledge I couldn't complete such an easy task.

"Then I guess there is only one thing to do." Russia stated, and his grasp became tighter on my collar as I was lifted off the ground. The motion caused my head to spin faster, and for moment it was like the world and I were no longer in touch; like I was suspended on nothing.

"-better?" I caught a bit of Russia's question once my hearing returned, though I was shocked to note I was staring up at the sky.

"How-" I stopped myself as I realized I was enveloped in Russia's arms like a newborn. However, despite the brief feeling of mortification and urge to demand being set down, I heard myself say, "So warm...you're so warm..." My voice drifted like Russia's peering face seemed to be doing in my darkening vision.

"-May?" I allowed my eyes to close, ignored the imploring call, and welcomed darkness.

* * *

"...YOU...calm down...GIVE...why should I..." I couldn't decipher the babble, but it was irritating how it was pulling me from sleep's wonderful embrace.

"-put that away! For goodness' sake, America, you could hit, May!" The name was enough to rouse me, and I began opening my eyes into a squint.

"No I won't! I'm just going to hit this commie-" I was staring up at the chin of Russia in confusion before prior memories cautiously oozed into mind.

"Where's...America?" My voice was softer than intended, but I figured they heard me when all went silent.

"It seems small girl is finally awake." Russia titled his head down, and I was slightly unnerved by how close his face _(albeit a handsome one)_ was to me.

"May, are you hurt?" Britain's voice caused me to shift my head and take in the rest of the room. At first, I merely noticed Britain and Canada hanging back. However, I took in a sharp breathe when I noted America was also present and loosely holding a handgun that was aimed in my direction. I relaxed though when I realized Russia's forehead was the target.

"I won't tell you again, commie! Put. Her. Down." America sounded downright frightening as he cocked the gun. The other two nations watched in anticipation for what would happen, and even I held my breathe. Which is why we were all startled when Russia happily supplied, "Okay." Then I felt the hands beneath me disappear and I free fell for a moment.

"May!" The sound of a crash coincided with arms catching me. America wasn't fazed by the way he hit the floor in order to catch me, and he quickly managed to return to a stand.

"What the bloody hell was that for, Russia?!" Britain demanded, and I thought I even saw Canada sending Russia a frown of disapproval.

"I was just doing what America ask." Russia shrugged, and though I couldn't see America's expression from my place in his arms, I could imagine he wasn't pleased. However, he reluctantly dismissed Russia's actions while he peered down at me with eyes full of worry. "May, talk to me! Did he hurt you? I'll mess him up good if he-"

"No, I'm fine, America. I was just tired, and I guess with everything that happened, I sort of passed out." I explained rapidly, placing a hand on America's shoulder to reassure him. "You can put me down now." I tried to speak soothingly, but America frowned at me for a second. He seemed to be examining for injuries with his eyes, and once he finished, he sighed inrelief and gently removed his hands so I could slip onto my feet.

I wobbled a bit, and I saw America's hands hover nearby, but I soon found balance.

"See? I'm perfectly okay-"

"What about that?!" Britain shouted as he pointed to my neck, and I immediately touched the scarf there.

 _It's wet._ I pulled back my hand and was very shocked to find a sticky red substance staining it.

"Get her on the table! We have to treat the injury!"

"M-may?!"

"SHE'SBLEEDING! WHATDOWEDO?!"

 _But I don't feel any pain anywhere! There's no way it's my blood..._ Somehow I blocked out the clamor of hysterical countries and inclined my head towards Russia, who was the only one calmly standing on the sidelines.

 _When he was fighting those Nazis-_

"HOLDONMAY! IT'SGOINGTOBEOKAY!" I was torn from my thoughts, scooped into the arms of America, and then rapidly placed onto the meeting table before I had three nations hovering over me.

"Wait, I'm- Urk!" I chocked a bit when Britain started to furiously unwrap the scarf from my neck.

"ISSHEGOINGBEOKAY?! TELLMESHE'SALRIGHT!" America's shouting only served to cause everyone's eardrums to cry in pain.

"Somebody get this fool out of my ear! I'm trying to help her!" Britain shouted over his shoulder before he returned attention to removing the scarf. Canada, being the only one available, attempted to herd America away.

"Lie down so I can check your wound." Britain tried to steer me, but I batted his hands away.

"I'm trying to tell you-"

"ISSHEOKAY?!"

"A-America, c-calm down!"

"I know your in pain, but you must lay back-"

"Aiya!" I swiveled sharply towards the source of the shocked cry, which happened to be China at the doorway.

"What is happening?" France's voice interrupted, standing by China. Both held confused expressions, which made sense considering the rest of us had froze at their appearance. Therefore, I was in a half-sitting position with an arm up to ward off Britain's hands. On the other hand, Canada was holding America back by his Air Force collar while America had an arm stretched out to me.

All in all, we looked ridiculous.

Before anyone could speak though, I announced, "These idiots won't listen to me!" I hissed, my composure snapping.

"But your bleeding-"

"It's not my blood!" I interrupted to prevent the chaos from returning. Thankfully, a hush followed my announcement and a lot of puzzled expressions turned to me. Thus I took the time to push away from Britain and slide off the table. I next fast walked to Russia and looked up at him. "You were hurt in that fight, weren't you?"

Russia stared at me quizzically, but then he looked down at himself, and suddenly noticed the red marring his coat. "It seems your right, small girl. I did not notice until now." Similar to earlier in the meeting, Russia didn't appear too upset by the knowledge he had bloodied his coat.

 _So that's what that blast of light was._ I recalled the flash before Russia took down the last Nazi.

"I don't understand. What fight?" China interrupted, confused as the rest of the group that held question marks over their heads.

"It was-"

 _Booom!_ The ground started shaking, and I nearly lost my balance when the first wave rocked us. Immediately, America stumbled over to me before he scanned the room warily.

"Is this another one?!" America seemed to come to the same conclusion as me when the lights in the room began flickering.

However I had no chance to reply before Britain shouted, "It's the portal!" The lights completely dimmed, and the darkness therefore illuminated the blue swirls forming above the table to the point that most of us shielded our eyes.

"What portal?!" China questioned, staring at the swirls warily.

"Is this earthquake in my land?"

"Not this again! My gorgeous hair has been through enough today!"

I wanted to reassure the few nations that hadn't seen a portal yet, but I couldn't prior to blue encroaching on my vision.

 _Blue blue blur everywhere_

 _You arezzzlatezzzttt_

 _The ocean isn't warm, but cold cold cold_

 _PleasezzZzzhomezzztt_

 _Water is still as ice_

 _The rare tideless ocean has nothing to drag me down so I float_

 _I need youzzzZZZ_

 _The blue, ocean, and tide fades without qualms_

I gasped as I returned to the present, and I was grateful to see no one looking at me because they're all enraptured by the colored _(no more black and white?)_ and scratchy image on the portal. We all marveled it's unusual appearance, though my ears caught Britain quietly explaining the portal to China and Russia.

"What now?" I asked myself as the vision solidified.

 _May's hair was in a ponytail and she wore black tights along with a blue t-shirt. The man standing across wore a similar offit as he stood a second, and then ran up to May to send a fist towards her head. May ducked, grabbed the fist, and then pulled his arm in the same direction it had been going._

 _She next released his fist and hopped to the side in order to watch the boy stumble forward, but he caught himself at the last second. May did nothing to stop him from turning around. Though she appeared startled when he swiped a leg under her own. She collapsed and caught herself on her knees, but the boy aimed a kick that would hit her stomach. Thus May tossed herself back, and in a fluid motion, caught the leg and pushed it much higher than the boy intended. He slipped, fell back, and May released him._

 _"Stop!" May turned to the Asian woman standing a few feet away while the boy got himself up. "That's all for you today, May." Her straight black hair swayed a bit as she nodded in May's direction. The boy took the opportunity to walk off, but May stayed behind._

 _"I've got to go now." May's voice was soft, and in some way, younger._

 _"I'm aware, but I wish I could go with you." The teacher replied while her dark brown eyes latched onto May's lighter ones as they seemed to have a silent conversation despite the blankness of the Asian woman's face._

 _However, May ended the silence by shaking her head and stating, "You haven't finished your shift in the dojo. I get it..."_

 _The scene faded to pure blue for a moment, but soon returned to focus._

 _"-here we are." The blonde haired man turned off the engine and shifted to face his passenger._

 _May wasn't looking at him, but staring through the glassy window towards the large building outside. The engraved title "University of Cincinnati" was planted firmly on the top of the building._

 _"May, dear?" The man's lightly accented tone led her to face him, and though her lips were drawn into a blank line, her eyes shown with worry. "You'll do great, for certain." The man placed a hand on the shoulder of her outfit, which was a light blue kimono. Her hair matched the dress as it was straightened and forced into a high bun._

 _"...And if I don't?" The question was hesitant as May's eyes dropped to the ground._

 _"Then we'll go get some ice cream and cry together over lost dreams." The man said with a smile, his hazel eyes filled with mirth. May abruptly chuckled in response and batted his shoulder playfully._

 _"I was being serious!" May gasped between the laughs._

 _"I am too! Pass or not, I would love some vanilla!" May's laughter mingled with the pale man, whom shook with his own chuckles._

 _"Just remember, if mom says your spoiling me then it was your idea." May tossed back as she griped the car door handle._

 _"I'm aware you don't really want to go here." The man's words caused her to freeze. "You're just doing this to make us happy, and yet I know you're going to put your all into this performance. So no matter what those college advisers decide, we're so proud of...our Amaya..." The words faded in and out before it was gone and the scene stilled. The colors all swirled into mush before blue became the dominant tone._

"...I remember that." I spoke up faster because I was more used to the ways of the portal as it faded from sight and the lighting returned. "It was January, 2015. I was completing my application into the dance program at UC. We had to perform before they decided to let you in or not..." I muttered with a shrug, trying to hold back how the flashback had impacted me.

 _I miss them._ I struggled not to voice my feelings.

"Was the dance theme that of Japan?" China asked abruptly, and I started at the unexpected question and the fact I didn't expect China to speak first. Everyone else appeared dazed from what they had just witnessed, yet China focused on me with ease.

"No, it was optional, though it did have to be based on a non-Western country. I just decided to make mines about Japan." I spoke absentmindedly. "I dressed up like a geisha and began with traditional Japanese dance, but I didn't want to make it too basic, so I transitioned from dance to my martial arts during the performance. I think it really stood out to them." I mentioned, not certain why China was stuck on the portal's showing rather than the portal itself.

China's eyebrows drew together in thought as he stated. "You know much about Japan." I held a confused frown on my lips while everyone else slowly came out of their daze and also looked taken aback by China's comments.

 _His eyes..._ Once again, I noticed China staring at me it what had to be suspicion, but I couldn't fathom what brought it up this time.

"What's your point, dude?!" America interjected, impatient with China's interrogation of me.

China didn't spare him a glance, continuing to stare intently into my eyes, before he listed, "That was not the first time you wore Japanese clothing, from what Britain told me. You're martial art is from Japan and you know much more about _Japanese_ customs than most Americans." With finality, he concluded, "I believe it is because you carry Japanese blood in you... Right, _Amaya_?" China's eyes narrowed to silts and I felt stunned by his blunt speech. I thought I even heard someone gasp too, but then America was storming in front of me and staring down at China in real anger. "Don't go comparing her to a Jap! And her name is-"

"If you mean I'm from Japan, then you're wrong." I affirmed, my back straightened in preparation.

"See! I told you!" America raised a pointer finger up triumphantly.

"My mother is the one from Japan, not me." I spoke firmly, trying to remain unaffected as America's hand dropped and he swiveled towards me with his mouth hanging open.

"What?!" It was a mingle of raised voices as everyone stared at me like they'd been floored. Yet I didn't flinch at China's accusing eyes, the fact Russia's aura had gotten creepy, or from the shock on France and Canada. However, the expressions of confusion and betrayal fighting for dominance on America's face did affect me.

"My mother is my aikido trainer after all." I forced myself to shrug, but when I noted China glaring at me, I was struck with a realization. "Wait a minute, is this why you've been giving me those weird looks since I first met you?"

China nodded tightly, "Your skin is darker and your eyes are smaller than most Americans, and that made me suspicious." China sounded smug, though his body was tense.

"And? What did you think?" I wasn't sure what the point of this was. "That I was a Japanese spy or..." I noted China's posture tense further. "Y-You really thought that?!" I chocked out.

"I still do, aru!" China announced, pointing an accusing finger at me.

 _He can't! Does he seriously-_

"Your wrong, China!" I think everyone was a tad surprised when Britain stepped forward and glared at the Asian.

China stepped up to the challenge and maintained a glaring match with Britain. "And how is that?" China challenged, like their was no valid response Britain could make.

However, Britain smirked while stating, "I don't know about her mother, but I'm certain her father would of raised her better than that." Britain glanced at me with certainty. "He is one of my own after all." Once again, everyone was stunned to silence and even China's mouth shut.

"That was him in the car, right?" Britan continued and I nodded.

"Yes... When did you notice?" I questioned, ignoring France's cry of "I'm in love with a British woman?!".

Britain sounded triumphant as he announced. "When you told me your full name, as Bennett is a fairly common surname in my land... Though I forget all about it until France mentioned your like of British dishes." Britain was very pleased to mention the last part. "After that, I started testing your knowledge on my customs just to be certain."

"So that's what you and America have been..." I trailed off when I searched the room for my familair nation, but I didn't spot him. Britain noticed my confusion and glanced around too before coming to the same conclusion.

"Now where did he run off to? I thought he would... May?" Britain called out to me only after I rushed out the doorway and sprinted down the hallway.

* * *

I followed the imprints left on the light sheet of snow until I ended up by his plane. Then I walked pass the front and wasn't surprised to find him there. Though it broke my heart a little to see that pitiful expression on his face as he sat on the ground, with his back leaning against the plane as support and his eyes staring off into space.

"..." I didn't say anything while I walked over to his side and purposely left some room between us before I sat down.

 _He'll talk when he's ready._ Thus, we sat like in pure silence for a few minutes with only the occasional gust of wind moving our hairs. In my head, I mentally counted down from a hundred, in Spanish, to pass the time.

 _Cien...noventa-nueve...noventa y ocho..._ I felt America glance over to me a few times, but I didn't face him, and he didn't utter a word.

It wasn't until America's gaze lasted a full minute that he released, "It was wrong." I didn't ask for clarification before he went on. "Your Ohio accent; I knew something was off about it." America admitted, sounding as deflated as he looked.

I didn't speak, but I had to rack my brain a few moments to recall what he was talking about.

 _That first plane ride after I arrived._ I recalled the dialogue we held in the air.

 _"You're from Cincinnati?!"_

 _"Yup, got a problem with that?"_

 _"Naw, dude! I'm just surprised your not from Columbus or something! Your accent sounds weird compared to most people from that area."_

I had genuinely believed what was throwing him off was the seventy year gap.

 _"You're definitely one of mines either way."_

I prayed he wasn't rethinking such a statement. Fortunately, I didn't have to ponder on the negative thought as America continued.

"And you always drink tea... You've baked scones a few times too." I thought I saw America look up at the sky from my peripheral vision, as if that would grant him peace. "Britain kept trying to telling me you could be...be related to _him_." America scoffed a bit, despite how he was now aware it was true.

"And I never asked why you had that weird dress or why said you wanted sushi that one time or why your passport said Amaya Kuzco Bennet or- I was so _stupid_!" America finally shouted, tossing snow up as he slammed his fists on the ground. Then he brought his knees up and winded his arms tightly around them before burying his face into his arms.

 _Oh, America._ For once, I didn't want to chide him on his childish actions. I simply wanted to give him the comfort any disillusioned child needed.

So I did.

"You're not the first person to refuse to see what's right in front of you." I saw America stiffen from the corner of my eye. "And you won't be the last person to be in denial, but lucky you, I think I'm able to see more clearly." I kept my voice gentle and low.

"The way I see it, every person has three parts to them. Regardless of if your a first-generation _American_ like me." I paused, to let the emphasis sink in, but then carried on. "There's the heart, mind, and body." I took a deep breathe, and then dove in.

"I'd say I've more Japan in body than anything. I do have dark hair and brown eyes." America hid back in his arms, but I had to go on. "I appear pretty quiet to most people, but it's just 'cause I'm thoughtful." I frowned as I continued. "I've had people tell me they don't like how I'm pretty calm most days because they can't tell what my true feelings are unless I say it." I went on before bad memories reached me.

"I'd say I'm fairly respectful of other cultures and customs, but that's because I'm really afraid I'll offend someone if I'm not." It felt star he saying this without thinking, yet I pushed on. "And I like a lot of Japanese stuff like their food, kawaii things, and anime."

America was practically submerged in himself until I mentioned, "But I could say the same about British things. Though when it comes to Britain, we're talking more about the way I think than my heart's desires." America shifted and I wondered if he was looking up in curiosity again.

"I feel a lot more than I let on, and I try to keep the bad things I want to say up in my head, but sometimes I can't help myself." I forced the words out, feeling an unwillingness to express myself even now. "Britain understands what it's like to know what's right up here," I tapped my cranium. "But to be unable to control all that anger."

"It's not always other people's fault, but I think too much about myself sometimes... I'm too prideful, and sometimes I keep stewing over what people say in my head until I can't help but get mad." I admitted with a sigh. "I guess it's just 'cause we're so passionate and caring that it's hard to force ourselves to think before acting sometime. Heck, it took years of aikido and navy training to tame me." It was hurting my pride right now to admit I wasn't always perfectly calm, so I shifted to the next topic.

"Besides that, I do like teas almost as much as I love coffee, and who doesn't love those clever twists in detective novels?" I smiled a bit. "But you know what?"

Finally I turned my head to face America, and his blue eyes met my own. "When it comes to love, I think we're talking more about the heart."

I held a wide smile and my eyes crinkled as I began, "I love comics, films, coffee, fast food, and boy I could go for a burger right now." I laughed a little at myself and saw America's eyes expand in understanding.

"And I just love to fly." I cooed happily. "Now that I'm in college, I plan to travel the whole world, see new things, and go on a one heck of an adventure!" I cheered, and America lifted his head as his grip on his legs loosened. "But to do those things, I have to remain strong and optimistic no matter what..." I glanced off to the side with misty eyes. "I love the fast paced world of cities, what could be better? But above even traveling, I want to help people." I turned my head back to face America.

"Whether with the navy or when I become a performer, I want to make people happy like I'm happy." I felt my voice getting chocked up. "I guess I want to be a hero like you... So," America released his legs and stared intently at me. "I'm not perfect and maybe I should of told you sooner, but does it really matter?" I felt my voice crack, and for once, I found that I was the one looking to America for approval.

"I...dude..." America began, glanced downwards, and then his head shot back up before he was throwing himself forward faster than I could blink. His arms wrapped around me tightly enough to hurt as he pulled me over to him. Yet I didn't fight it, merely closed my eyes in contentment at his version of "it's okay".

Thus the world was quiet, a beat passed, and then.

"Still mines?"

I rested my head on his chest and there was no hesitation.

"Always."

* * *

"Eternity: a moment standing **still** for ever." ~James Montgomery

* * *

 **Woah, that took forever to edit, but I hoped you liked it! Also, props to the few people that figured out at least half of May's ethnicity before now!**

 **Next time, expect a lot more FACE family!**

 **Byes!**


	22. Chapter 22: A Family Matter

**For all those who have reviewed, favorited, and followed this fanfic, you have my gratitude! Why? Because when I see how popular this story has gotten, it makes me sooo happy!**

 **Disclaimer: [Insert witty line about not owning Hetalia here... Oh, wait, isn't that what this is?]**

* * *

 **Life** (also known as Existence): The period of **Time** when one is alive

* * *

 _August 1943_

I waded in the rich blue water, which reached above my waist, and carefully scanned its depths.

 _Where is-_

A huge splash of water slapped against my back, soaking my dark brown hair and nearly knocking me over.

 _Aha!_ I swiveled around with a triumphant grin, but to my despair, I found nothing except foamy ripples left behind me.

"Shark attack!" Suddenly someone wrapped their arms around my waist, and before I could act, tossed their self backwards and under the waves whilst dragging me along. I barely stopped myself from gasping in surprise while the arms released me underwater. Quickly though, I regained my bearing and paddled my way back to a standing position.

My head breached the surface and I took in a large breathe of humid air before I heard the nearby sound of laughter. Thus I swiveled around to face the man wearing red shorts merely a few feet away. Then I clenched my fists and shouted, "Dang it, America! I told you I didn't want to get my hair wet!"

"But I-Hahaha! I-I told you I would-Hahahahaha!" America couldn't even speak because he was laughing so hard, therefore, I shoved some waves into his face to stop him.

Immediately America had to cease his laughter when water got into his mouth. "D-Dude!" America sputtered out the liquid, now coughing, but I just placed my hands on my hips and glared at him. I hoped I looked as intimidating as usual in what might of appeared to be a tight, short, and navy blue dress with spaghetti straps, but was actually the swimsuit America had bought me. It was thankfully perfect in size, even accommodating my upper torso, which was nice of America but also embarrassing since I realized he had to have noticed the size of that area in order to know I needed a bigger size _(I know he's a man, but still!)_.

"I told you I wouldn't dunk you if you caught me first!" America protested his treatment, bringing me back to the present.

Yet I crossed my arms, narrowed my brown eyes, and tossed back, "But I told you before then I didn't want to get my hair wet. I mean, do you know how long it took me to straighten all this hair last night?!" I pointed to my thick hair, which had been soaked flat and therefore fell down a little pass my mid-back. "Once it dries, the waves are going to return." I muttered darkly.

"Sorry, I forgot about that!" America rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, but I scowled. I didn't entirely believe him, mainly because I had heard him mutter to himself about not liking it when I straightened my hair since it made me look "different".

 _More like it makes my Asian features stand out more._ I didn't feel the need to open that can of worms right now, so I merely sighed.

"Whatever." I started wadding my way back to the shore of the lake and was glad to see most people had a abandoned the beach, probably because it was getting late, since it meant I could put on my modern clothes without getting gawked at.

"Where are you going, dude?!" America cried out from behind.

I didn't turn around as I replied. "It's getting late, and we need to pick up the others soon." My voice was still strained due to my prior irritation, but I was already cooling down.

"Aw, can't we stay like five more minutes?" America whined, and unfortunately, I made the terrible mistake of turning around before responding.

 _...Curse you...kawaii..._ I ended up staring at America, who held a disappointed pout on his face and a pleading expression that was more pronounced due to the rays of the sunset causing his eyes to glimmer. It didn't help that he wasn't wearing his glasses either, so he could swim without accidently losing them, and how that made him look more younger and childlike.

 _No wonder Britain spoiled him as a kid. I can barely say "no" to him as an adult._ I glanced down, unable to handle the scene anymore, and felt my inner resolve crumble while I ran a hand through my damp hair.

"Fine. We can stay a few more minutes, but not for too-"

"Shark attack!" America immediately sprung for joy, and I had little preparation before he was dragging me underwater again.

"America, I swear!"

"Hahahahaha!"

* * *

"Do you see them? 'Cause I don't." I scanned the sidewalk in front of the airport for any sign of Britain and France.

"Well that's just too bad. Guess we'll have to leave without..." I gave America a stern look, and he trailed off.

"I thought you said Britain told you this was important and couldn't wait." I reminded him in a no-nonsense tone.

Thus America briefly appeared cowed by the reminder, but soon sighed in annoyance and crossed his arms. "Yeah, but we're supposed to be _enjoying_ the weekend. And that limey is just going to yell at me every time I try to have some fun!" America complained, turning on the car's ignition in preparation to leave. "Plus he brought the frenchie with him!"

 _Can't blame him. I wouldn't leave France unsupervised_ _in my house either._ I could easily imagine France redecorating Britain's house or something equally annoying while he was away, and Britain had probably came to a similar conclusion.

 _But I get where America's coming from._ Neither I nor America had been expecting to see either of the European nations until the next Allies meeting, considering we had decided to take a week-long trip to Chicago even if it meant missing a few Allies meetings happening in England. However, after the first few days of relaxation, Britain had managed to get a hold of America and insisted that they meet up to talk about some important battle strategies they discussed in the latest Allies meeting. According to Britain, it had been a very bad week to play hooky, and now he had flown all the way to Chicago just to speak with America.

"M-Maybe someone should go out and look for them." Canada's soft voice actually startled me before I remembered how he too had joined us on our vacation. Though he hadn't been enthusiastic about skipping meetings, America had eventually convinced him to join us, which is what America occasionally did whenever we went on weekend trips. Thus Canada was now sitting in the backseat of the car since he had insisted I take my usual spot up front _(true gentleman!)_.

I turned my head back to face him and smiled. "That's a good idea. We should check-"

"Dude, who are you talking to?!" America questioned, staring at me like I had lost my mind.

I frowned at America before deadpanning, "A ghost. Boo."

My sarcasm, however, went over America's head as he gained a freaked out expression and shouted, "WHERE?!" America's eyes darted around the car until they landed on the backseat. "AH! IT'S IN THE CAR! AND IT LOOKS JUST LIKE ME!" America looked ready to toss himself out the car window and run all the way back to Washington D.C., so I rushed to grab him by the collar and forced him to focus on me.

"For goodness' sake, chill! That's your brother, Canada! Remember?" I spoke tersely, especially since I noted a stormy rain cloud had formed over Canada's head after America's outburst and Canada's expression currently rivaled a kicked puppy. "He's been hanging out with us for like three days." I mentioned reproachfully.

America blinked rapidly for a few seconds, but I released the collar of his shirt when a lightbulb went off over his head. "Oh, yeah! Sorry about that, bro!" America turned to Canada with a wide grin, and the cloud over his head dispersed as the acknowledgment brightened Canada's mood.

"I-It's okay." Canada stated, but America had already turned away to face the front.

"If those dudes don't show up soon, I'm leaving!" America huffed, placing his hand on the steering wheel.

"Fine, I'll go look for them." I opened the car door and stepped out onto the sidewalk. I then decided to head towards the area behind the car since I had been unable to see that section too well from my seat. As I walked, I saw quite a few people were ogling my blue jean capris, purple t-shirt, and black tennis shoes. Yet I tried to ignore the looks as I searched for the two nations.

 _Maybe America heard him wrong and they're really waiting inside the airport._ I started searching for the airport's entrance just when I heard a familiar voice holler, "Stop complaining! It looks like it does everyday!" The distinct British accent came from the left so I walked over there.

"Are you blind?! My hair is a frizzy mess in all this heat!"

"That _is_ what it looks like every day! An utter mess!"

I stood directly in front of France and Britain, whom were sitting as far apart from each other as they could on a bench and were in the middle of a heated glaring match. I was cetrtain only the fact that their suitcases were inbetween them kept their fight from getting physical.

Though they didn't immediately notice me so I crossed my arms and asked, "You guys done yet?"

They snapped out of their glaring to look up at me in shock.

"Oh, there you are!" Britain was the first to recover as he jumped to his feet and pulled his luggage off the bench. Then he looked beyond my shoulder with a dark scowl. "Is that daft fool accompanying you?" Britain seemed prepared to give America a serious tounge-lashing.

"We have been waiting so long in this humidity that my cloak is sticky!" France complained and a red tick mark appeared on his head as he joined Britain by getting up and appearing ready to hunt down America.

 _Only when it involves yelling at America do they both agree._ I rolled my eyes, unwilling to deter them since America had refused to leave the beach until we arrived nearly a hour late to pick them up, meaning they were justified.

"He's in the car. Come on." I walked back towards the vehicle, assuming they would follow.

"Of course that fat arse didn't even have the decency to greet us." Britain grumbled while we neared America's car, and I rushed to open the car door and take my seat because the multiple stares I received from the general public were beginning to bother me.

"You! What took you so bloody long?!" Britain demanded through the car window while I got seated, which unfortunately meant I also got an earful of Britain since it was my window that was open.

"I donf know wuff you talkwing abouf!" America suddenly held a half eaten burger in his hand, with the other half was stuffed in his mouth, and I briefly wondered if he had purposely decided to eat now in order to deter Britain's lecturing.

 _I swear he can be pretty sneaky when he wants to be._

Regardless, Britain recoiled at the sight of America's bad manners and France, who had been waiting to also chide America, flinched back as well.

"How repulsive!" France huffed, scurrying to take a seat in the back so he wouldn't have to see the mush in America's mouth. All the while he muttered about how he would of taught America better manners if only he had been chosen over Britain.

"Don't eat with your mouth open, America! I told you to stop doing-"

"Britain," I faced the European with a blank expression and cold eyes, causing his mouth to snap close. "It's over 80 degrees right now and your yelling is standing between me and an air-conditioned hotel room..." I saw a bead of sweat roll down Britain's face while I allowed my chilly tone tone to linger in the air. "This isn't a _safe_ position to be in." I looked Britain straight in the eye for a moment, and he looked properly terrified for a second before he cleared his throat and muttered what might of been an apology. Thus he backed off, only sent a glare towards America when he laughed at his speedy obedience to my whim, and opened the back door.

"I suppose we should get to the hotel before they give away our rooms anyhow." Britain mentioned to save his dignity before tossing his suitcase in the back seat.

"Ow!" Canada cried out, and I saw Britain and France blink in surprise at the sound.

"W-What is another America doing back there?!" Britain sprung away from the car, clearly surprised to see someone besides France.

However, France's surprised expression had morphed into recognition and then became a haughty one."Your old age _has_ made you blind!" France announced before he gestured to the Canadian's head, which now had a small bump on the left side of it. "This is Canada! How else would he have such luscious hair? He certainly didn't get it from you." France smirked, placing his suitcase on his lap.

"Oh, lad, I did not see you there." Britain appeared a tad guilty. "My apologies." Britain grabbed his luggage from the floor as he sat down and closed the door.

"Finally! Let's hit the road, dudes!" America cheered, revving the car's engines.

 _I'm glad the hotel is like three minutes away._ I figured it was for the best this particular group of nations didn't spend too much time together while I, the mortal human, was stuck in the car with them. Already I was a little worried about my survival chances when I noticed America was steering with one hand, while eating his hamburger in the other, without having to worry about America and Britain's arguments causing him to crash.

"So how are you, Canada?" I heard France question ring from the back, tugging me from my thoughts _(I'm not nosy, just curious!)_.

"M-Me? I've been doing fine." Canada replied, sounding glad to receive some attention.

"And how many women are you seeing now?" I could imagine the smile dropping from Canada's face in confusion and the smirk growing on France's.

"H-How many?!"

"Don't ask him that, you scoundrel!" Britain abruptly interjected.

"It was a honest question!" France defended.

"B-But I haven't really-"

"Don't answer him!" Britain snapped, though his anger was aimed at the Frenchman. "You shouldn't let this fool bully you into an answer, America."

"..." A second of awkward silence passed, and I had to resist the urge to face-palm.

"I'm not America." The exasperation was clear in the poor Canadian's voice. "I'm Cana-"

"Huh? Wut?" America glanced behind him at the sound of his name, his mouth still stuffed with food.

 _Oh, FACE family, you sure are something else._ I looked down to make my chuckling less obvious.

"I am just interested in his romantic wellbeing! After all, I don't want him to end up as loveless as you!"

"I'm not loveless! I could have a proper lady if I chose to!"

"Keep telling yourself-"

"America, the hotel!" I interjected, thankfully looking up right as America was about to pass the entrance.

 _Guess he was distracted- Ah!_

A loud screeching noise resounded throughout the car as America made a sharp turn, and I barely stopped my head from slamming into the dashboard.

"Augh!" I heard a series of grunts, shouts, and collisions occur behind me while the car swerved into the parking lot.

"Here we are!" America cheerfully announced as he barely squeezed Betty between two parked cars and turned off the engine.

 _My life... I saw it flash before me..._ One of my eyes twitched, probably in response to the sudden adrenalin rush I had, and I could barely hear groans coming from behind me over my own rapidly beating heart.

"Hey! The car's not straight! I better back-"

"NO!" My shout mixed with at least two others and I threw my arm in front of America to prevent him from turning the car back on.

"Okaaay." America was confused by our resounding agreement but obliged by not restarting the car.

Instead he moved on, and in good cheer stated, "I'll check in before those slowpokes get out!" He seemed oblivious to his passengers' condition as he slid out the car.

 _I've never been carsick before, but I'm not feeling too hot._ I took in a deep breathe and released it slowly as I reclined back in my seat.

Then there was a short silence, which allowed me to reorient myself and also wonder if I should be worried about the strangely quiet nations behind me.

However, my worry was dashed away as a lone, muffled voice mentioned, "For once, I did not enjoy having another body thrown on top of mines."

And like a dam had been opened, life went on as expected.

"Get off of me already, you pervert!"

"H-Has anyone seen my glasses?"

"Honhon! But this is the perfect opportunity to give Canada a lesson about amour!"

"P-Please don't, France. I don't think Britain wants-"

"Remove your hands from me, you filthy-"

I allowed my head to drop on the dashboard, while silently hoping the force would be enough to send me into a peaceful coma.

* * *

"There you are!" Britain jumped at the chance to scold America, who we easily spotted chowing down his burgers and seated by what may have been the hotel lobby's diner but had already closed for today. "What sort of asinine stunt were you attempting to pull out there?!"

America got up, and luckily finished his burger _(where does it all go?!)_ , before he replied. "I don't know what your talking about, dude. Are ya seeing things again?" America asked, sounding genuine, though I could make out amusement in his eyes.

"What?!" Britain demanded, his expression darkening on cue. Though I noticed the person behind the lobby desk jump a bit after Britain's shout echoed, and then he stared at us curiously.

Since I didn't think we should make a scene, I decided to speak up. "Guys, we can discuss America's poor driving skills later." I announced, and before Britain could protest, I turned to my country. "Do you have the keys?"

America nodded and opened up his fisted hand to reveal two keys laying on his palm.

 _Only two? But-_

"Finally!" France interrupted my train of thought. "I can fix my makeup-" We all raised a brow in France's direction. "I mean fix my hair!" France corrected nervously, though I doubted anyone of us believed him.

 _Too far, French fry...too far..._ America was the first one to move on, though it could have been his low attention span playing a role, and he soon headed towards the staircase. Thus a grumbling Britain and the rest of us followed him, and we were surprisingly quiet until we reached the third floor.

 _Maybe all of us were worn out by this summer heat._ I didn't mind this rare moment of silence among us, though I sensed its impending end when America stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"Okay, dudes! These two are our rooms!" America gestured to the two doors in front of him.

Yet I recalled my earlier question and hurried to ask, "Only two?" America, Britain, and France stared at me in confusion.

"Uh, yeah, bro. There's only four of us." America explained like I had lost my mind again. "One room for us and one for them." He pointed towards France and Britain.

 _Not again._

I felt an irritated tick mark appear on my head as I reached behind me and latched onto Canada's shirt before pulling him in front of me. "I'm pretty sure four plus one equals five." I released Canada, whom appeared flustered as everyone stared at him in astonishment.

"Bro?! When did you get here?!"

"Why are there two Ameri-"

"Anyway," I interrupted after pinching the bridge of my nose "We have a dilemma." Everyone returned their focus to me.

"We have four beds and five people, and I'm under the impression no one wants to sleep on the ground sooo," A grimace appeared on a few faces as they realized the issue. "Who gets their own bed and who has to share?"

I glanced around at everyone while a few seconds of thoughtful silence passed.

"It shall be moi of course!" France suddenly shouted with a grin. "I would love to hop into the lovely lady's bed!" France sounded overly giddy, but I scoffed.

"Boy, please." I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes.

Britain jumped in before France could continue. "It wouldn't be appropriate for a cultured woman such as May to share a bed with you!"

France looked at Britain in annoyance, but then his face mellowed and he smirked. "Is this a proposal?" Britain blanched at the suggestion. "Perhaps you don't want me to be with May because you would rather share with me!" France leered creepily close to Britain, who leaned back and had disgust written all over his face.

"As if! It's hard enough having you sleep in the same house as me!" Britain shoved France back in anger.

Yet France shrugged off the rejection and surprisingly turned to Canada. "What about you, moi infant? It will be just like old times!" France announced, causing Canada to become frazzled.

"B-But I was hardly more than a baby back then! I'm t-too old for that now!" Canada defended, and I suddenly understood why he was so red.

 _Yeah, sleeping in your parents' bed as a child. I remember those days._

"Exactly! It will be a better _experience_ now that you've grown!" France winked after appreciatively looking Canada up and down.

"Dude, you need some serious help." I couldn't help but mutter at the sight of his perversion.

However, Canada was saved when Britain marched inbetween them and stated, "Clearly no one wants to be anywhere near you, frog face!" However, France ignored him and looked over Britain's shoulder to face America. "Amerique?" France inquired, though he soon grimaced when he noticed America had his mouth half open while he stuffed another burger in. Thus France shrugged helplessly and admitted, "I guess I must have a bed of my own."

"Okay, so we've got one bed taken by the French fry. Now how about the rest of us?" I questioned to move along the process. Then I turned to Britain. "I'm under the impression you should probably get a bed of your own." I mentioned, and Britain was fast to agree.

"Yes, I don't believe it is proper to share a bed with an unwedded lady." Britain appraised me with mild respect, but then he scowled. "And I can barely stand America when he's across the ocean." Britain narrowed his eyes at my nation, but it seemed he had tuned our conversation out as he continued to scarf down burgers similar to a ravenous wolf.

 _Yeaaah, I don't want to hear them argue all night... Really, only Canada would work well with him._ Truth be told, Britain would probably forget Canada was there.

"Now we've got two beds left." I redirected my attention to Canada.

"I think you and America could share a bed," I had a brief imagination of chibi America hopping on the bed repeatedly until poor chibi Canada tumbled out. "But I think you've been through enough dealing with him for over a century." I added, and saw barely concealed relief cross Canada's face.

 _And when it comes to Canada, probably for the best we don't sleep together. Not that I would mind- Stop! Bad girl! Baaad!_ I trimmed that thought process before it could go on, and turned to America.

"I guess Canada can have the other free bed, so that leaves me and America to share." America returned focus from his burgers once he heard his name being brought up _(egotistical much?)_ and no one immediately protested, though I noted France seemed disappointed and Britain glanced at America warily. Yet ultimately there seemed to be no alternatives anyone could think of.

"Awesome! We're practically roommates anyway." America mentioned, sending me an easygoing smile.

"W-Wait," Canada's soft voice interrupted us. "We haven't decided whose sharing a room together." I felt myself deflate as we all realized there were still more decisions to be made.

 _And we should of stayed at our original hotel._ Technically, it was Britain who suggested we change hotels so he didn't have to search all of Chicago to find us. However, I couldn't point this out before chaos ensued.

"Dibs on my bro, Canada!"

"What?! But that would leave me with the Frenchie!"

"Non! I would prefer to have the lovely May in my room!"

"Not happening, French fry!" I allowed my yelling to mix with the uproar of everyone else as I came to one conclusion.

 _If you can't beat them, join them._

* * *

 _It was raining._

 _Blue drops were falling._

 _ZZComingzzzz_

 _Ocean swelled as rain filled it._

 _I was drowning as I sank._

 _Zzcan'tzzzwaitzzzZZ_

 _My lungs burned but waves were so so strong._

 _I was slipping fast and blue was winning._

 _I willzzzforzZZZ_

 _Waves calmed abruptly._

 _Ocean fell apart._

 _Blue blue rain gave way to sun._

I gulped in air desperately as I shot up in the bed and my eyes flew open wide.

 _Can't breathe!_ I coughed harshly and reached my hands toward my throat as if I were chocking.

 _No, you're not drowning!_ Air whooshed into my lungs and I felt myself calm once the imaginary blockage dispatched along with the memory of the nightmare.

 _Another dream?_

"Mm." I flinched at the suddenness of the sound and my head snapped to the left, only for me to see the sleeping form of my nation. Soon my rapidly beating heart returned to a regular rhythm and I managed a tiny small of relief.

 _America's here. I'm still home._ He had shifted in his sleep so one of his arms and legs were sort of sprawled over on my side of the bed, but I didn't mind. I trusted him, and it was comforting in a sense to have the literal embodiment of my home so near.

 _But why did I feel like I was drowning?_ I looked up and stared over at the blank wall in front of me while mentally refocusing on the issue. Then, in this moment of thought, it hit me that I actually remembered something from those odd dreams.

 _Drowning. I was drowning in the dream! ...To drown there has to be water._ I couldn't actually remember the content of the nightmare, but I was astonished that I even recalled the sensation of drowning.

 _It's a start. I should note this._ I cautiously slid my body around until my legs swung off the bedside. I wasn't too worried America would awaken while I rose and the bed creaked, but I wasn't certain about the other room's occupant.

"Shhheewww." I smiled a bit deviously as France snored because though it was softly, like a whistle, I found it humorous he snored at all.

 _At least he's harmless asleep._ It had been a tough decision letting him into our room, but Britain deserved a break from his unwanted houseguest. Also, France had stopped looking so giddy about our decision when I reminded him America slept with a gun under his pillow and I was a light sleeper that could react violently when suddenly disturbed.

 _I hope he's a hard sleeper like America and Britain._ I bent down to pull out my backpack from under the bed and then stood back up.

 _I need light to see my writing._ I squinted in the fairly dark room because the curtains were drawn closed and the lights were off. I knew that America and perhaps France were oblivious to noise, but light was a natural wake-up call for humans in general and I didn't want to risk waking them.

 _...How about the balcony?_ I suddenly recalled the balcony on one of end of this floor. I had briefly spied it before we had shuffled into our rooms earlier.

 _I'll use the moonlight out there._ With that decided, I slung the backpack on one shoulder and pushed my feet into my slippers. After briefly examining the clock on the wall, I figured it was late enough that no one would catch me in my loose gray shorts and baggy white t-shirt. Thus I glided over to the door, gently opened it, and gracefully entered the hallway before shutting it behind me.

 _Aw, man._ I saw someone else already in the hallway, from the corner of my eye, but I didn't make eye contact since I knew it would make this brief interaction even more uncomfortable for the unfortunate 20th century person to catch me in my modern clothes. Therefore I hurried over to the end of the hall, and once there, I rushed to open the balcony door and ignored how the moonlight streamed into my eyes while the door shut behind me.

 _Let's get this done._ I thought idily before getting the bag into my hands and unzipping it. I retrieved the book, pulled out a pen, and took a seat so I was cross-legged behind the white rails of the balcony. Then I flipped through the pages until I ended up on the one titled "DREAMS?".

 _Let's see what to put under here._ For the most part, the page was merely a long list of dates and brief descriptions of my circumstance before the dreams occurred. Due to the sheer number of occurrences, it was the largest section in my notebook. Beside those, however, there were a few theories scattered on the pages.

 _I'll add it here._ I slowly began to write a new theory into the notebook.

 _My dreams involve a large body of water?_

I figured that had to be the case, considering one wouldn't drown in a puddle. However, before taking a look at the rest of the notes, my hand began to move once more.

 _I'm drowning and I don't know if I can keep swimming much longer._

I stared at the sentence in confusion, like I wasn't certain I had wrote it, before deciding it might have been a residual feeling from the dream and therefore belonged in the journal.

 _Now let's see if there's anything else to look over tonight._ My eyes immediately latched onto one of the largest and more recent entries.

 _May 2, 1943 - Daymare occurred. Second time one has that caused me to sleepwalk a great distance. According to Russia, I was headed west. When awoken, I encountered three Nazis but no Germany. Later I recalled walking for many hours, beyond my control, and approaching a vehicle with the three Nazis in it._

After I and America had left that night, we hadn't taken the time to give anyone explanations about my disappearance or received ones until the following morning. Thus, after speaking with Russia on the phone and learning what he knew, we had managed to inform everyone of our encounter with the three Nazis. Including the fact that Russia had left the Germans behind since he couldn't carry us all back to the building, and when he returned to capture them, they had all disappeared.

 _This could be coincidental or related to the prior incident where my sleepwalking seemed to lead towards German soldiers._

I read the last line of the entry and frowned as my demeanor soured. I couldn't help except feel a trickle of fear run through me while I continued to stare a the information.

"He's involved." I muttered softly, but a part of me simply didn't believe the words. I wasn't exactly sure how to explain my uncertainty, but I guess the issue was that it felt too easy to be true. Some part of me just knew there was more to this than Germany and his possible knowledge on me.

 _"Sometimes trees are just trees."_ My mother's voice gently reprimanded me. I understood that it was possible I was overcomplicating the problem and the obvious answer was actually the correct one.

 _But... No, it can't be Germany only. Maybe he knows about me and he's possibly involved, but he can't be the main one responsible._ At this point I was certain that it was a _someone_ who had been involved in transporting me to Hetalia, but I just didn't know who.

 _"Slow down, scout."_ The old memory rang in my head while my hands curled into fists.

 _I can't!_ I was growing frustrated, once more realizing that despite my efforts, I was as lost as usual. The mystery of my transportation eluding me while the clock ticked on.

 _I wish they were here. They'd tell me what to do._ I suddenly had a terribly strong desire to see my mother and father, or simply to hear their voice again.

"May?" For a brief second, I felt my eyes widen as I heard the British accent of my father. However, I quickly swiveled my head back to find none other than Britain standing in the doorway, holding the door open before letting it drop behind him.

"Britain? What are you doing up?" I asked while I rose to a stand.

"I was heading to bed after I got my nightly tea." I noted the tea cup on a saucer, which he was carrying with both hands. "But I thought I saw you walk out here while I was in the hallway."

"I knew I saw someone in the hall." I mentioned. Then my mouth lifted into a slight smirk. "And you decided to follow me, 'cause that's not creepy or anything." I laughed slightly as Britain gained an affronted look.

"I was not being-"

"Chill, dude." I interrupted before he went on a rampage to defend himself. "I know you weren't being a creep; you were just worried." I spoke the second half so quietly that Britain probably heard a mere mumble.

"Oh," Britain returned to a calmer disposition. "Well, I am glad you are aware I was not attempting to be lewd." Britain sounded slightly sarcastic, but I smiled as the tension left him. "However, I must inquire what you are doing out so late. Did America take up too much space? He's always so inconsiderate of others." Britain muttered, sounding annoyed for my sake.

"Yeah, no. Trust me, if it was a case of fighting over the bed, _he'd_ be the one sleeping on the ground." I scoffed lightly. "I was out here because I needed light and didn't want to accidentally wake them up."

"Light?" Britain glanced up at the moonlight streaming down on us from the clear sky.

"I was writing and looking over my notes on my whole transportation-into-this-world thing." I shrugged, keeping the frustration out of my voice to the best of my ability.

"Did you find anything?" Britain sounded interested, but I shook my head.

"Not really. Just more questions than definite answers, and probably insomnia since I'll be stuck thinking about it all night." I sighed as I turned around to stare up at the sky.

"Then perhaps you should stop thinking about it." Britain concluded while taking a step beside me.

Yet I placed my hands on the railing and griped it hard. "But I can't." I said tightly, and I saw Britain look at me in shock. "Every single time I figure something out, I end up getting more questions than answers and then I give up before going on. I can't keep doing this... I'll run out of time." I ended quietly despite how my voice had risen in the middle of my rant. However, I soon caught the owlish expression on Britain's face and I hurried to continue. "Sorry, I'm just seriously frustrated that I'm not getting anywhere."

Britain's expression melted into a sympathetic one, he paused, and then questioned, "Do you truly believe you'll accomplish anymore tonight?"

I sighed. "Not really."

"Then there isn't much point in staying up unless you wish to aggravate yourself further." Britain reasoned softly and I lowered my eyes in downcast.

"Okay, maybe I should just get some rest." I admitted.

"Of course, we British are the best at giving reasonable advice." Britain boasted proudly.

"Yeah, and you sound a lot like my mom." I muttered softly, doubting Britain would hear.

"Really?" I heard Britain respond unexpectedly, though I noted he looked more curious than upset by the comparison. "Not like your father?"

"My dad?" I asked him with a raised eyebrow. "He wouldn't tell me to take a chill pill like you did, he'd tap my head and ask 'is anything frying up there?'. He's silly like that." I laughed a bit.

"You're nothing like him," I examined Britain up and down and made a thoughtful hum. "Excluding your looks I guess." I shrugged, not noticing that Britain's eyes held a gleam of extreme interest, which was becoming brighter with my every word.

"Yes, you're father has green eyes as well if I remember." Britain mentioned.

"No." I was quick to correct him, shocking Britain. "He has _hazel_ eyes. You know, they can look green or goldenish sometimes but they're usually a light brown." I recalled having to correct many of my friends on the same aspect, as my area of Ohio was predominantly full of blue and brown eyed people. Thus gray, hazel, and other eye colors got heads turning since they were so rare.

"I see." Britain hummed, sounding moderately disappointed. "But we share the same hair color and fairer skin." Britain's disposition seemed oddly cheerfully, and I gave him a curious glance, but he was staring off into the city so he didn't see me do so.

"Plus his hair is a lot waiver than yours. Closer to France." I muttered the last part to ensure he wouldn't hear. "And personality wise, you're polar opposites."

"How so?" Britain inquired, and I knew he was digging for information, but I was actually happy to oblige.

 _It's better than with America._ While America hadn't necessarily treated me different after the revelation of my ethnicity, it wasn't exactly a topic he was keen on. In fact, there had been silence on both our parts over the matter since that night. Him for reasons I wasn't certain, and me because I didn't know if I was prepared to approach the elephant in the room. Yet in contrast, Britain had been very open about shoving this development in America's face, often pointing out my "Britishness" to him every chance he got. Though America would often shove my "Americanness" right back at him.

 _They just argue over everything._

"May?" I had clearly paused too long as Britain was now staring at me with some worry. "Actually, if you do not wish to speak on it-"

"Can I tell you a story, Britain?" Said nation looked bewildered by the interruption, but I continued on. "I'm not really sure how to begin, but I promise to do my best." I stared up at the moon and waited for a reply. Yet Britain remained silent, so I took it as a "yes".

"May 5th, 1972." I stated plainly. "A baby girl was born in Mito, Japan... They named her Kiwa." Britain gasped slightly and I knew he realized where I was going. "She didn't have a father growing up. According to her mother, her father had been a victim of bad timing when she was still a newborn... He had been killed after getting trapped in the crossfire of a gang war while he was getting off of work in Tokyo." I could feel Britain's sympathy despite not seeing him.

"So she grew up with her older sister, mother, and a grandfather... Her mother was a stickler for the traditional Japanese way, and never saw eye-to-eye with anyone else." I frowned as I recalled my mother's words.

 _"Your grandmother is always unhappy woman. Never been happy since your grandfather died, so my sister says."_ My mother had spoke with a terse frown, and at age five, I had decided to never ask about my grandmother after that. As one didn't have to be an adult to spot bad blood among family.

"Her mother was even against her own father-in-law just because she didn't approve of Kiwa learning aikido from him. Despite it being a very traditional martial art, she didn't think it proper for a woman to learn such things. Then again, it's no surprise such talk came from the same woman who was unhappy when her children learned English in school, very unhappy when both children attended a university instead of getting married, and was livid when one moved to Chicago after falling for some American tourist. Heck, maybe she's just one of those people that don't know the meaning of 'happy'." I added with a shrug, though my tone was tight with dislike.

"Anyway, you can imagine her mother was still upset over losing one daughter to America, so was very upset when the youngest decided to become an interpreter for an American company." I paused, deciding it was time to transition. "But there's another side to this story." I could feel Britain's eagerness fill the air at the shift in topic, and I smiled a bit to myself.

"On September 1st, 1975, a baby boy was born in London, England... They named him Crispin because he was born with such waves in his hair." I turned to Britain, who stared back at me in interest while I couldn't help but recall another memory.

 _"Bleh." My father made an exaggerated motion of disgust by sticking out his tongue, causing me to giggle. "It's too stuffy. I always told people to call me Cris."_

"He grew up with both parents, an older brother, and two twin sisters. He took up both French and German while in high school and college. After all, he wanted to become an interpreter once he graduated from college. Especially after he got his first taste of the job in October of 1994, when he was sent to New York City for an internship." Britain raised an eyebrow, uncertain, so I clarified. "The American economy was booming in the 1990s so a lot of businesses were drawn there. Including my- I mean Crispin's boss, who was there to make trade agreements between US and Britain. So it only makes sense that both Kiwa and Crispin met in that very city."

"But New York City is quite large." Britain brought up softly.

"Indeed, but like all people that fall in love, they met by chance and a whole lot of good fortune." I replied easily before continuing. "So both Crispin and Kiwa were attending the same international meetings for businessmen. One, a new interpreter, and another as an intern. Somehow both of them ended up in hotels right next to the same subway stop." I continued, recalling the details easily due to the amount of times my parents had told me the story. "They saw each other everyday at that same stop, and sometimes they ended up sitting next to each other on the train." I smiled fondly.

 _"I saw her, but she was hardly more than a stranger." My dad mentioned._

 _My mother smirked softly. "At least he saw me, I didn't even notice him the first week."_

 _"Hey!" My father gave her a mock hurt expression, and my mother's smirk became full blown._

"And eventually my dad decided to make idle talk while at the subway. Simple questions about Japan, how she found the interpreting job to be, and etc. It was mere curiosity, nothing more."

 _"You're father talked too much. I thought answering his questions would make him leave, but he kept coming back" My mother spoke in a deadpan tone, but I knew she was joking as my father chuckled to himself. "But then I found myself asking him questions too." My mother had a whimsical tint in her eyes._

I returned to the present and continued. "And they just kept talking until their Q&A became full blown conversations. They even started speaking to each other during lunch breaks at the meetings. And after four weeks, my- Crispin asked Kiwa out to dinner. He claimed he wanted to explore New York City with her since neither had been there before."

"And she said 'yes'?" Britain inquired when I didn't immediately continue.

"Not at first... But then she saw his hand was shaking."

 _"A man who doesn't care wouldn't shake, but your father did because he didn't know what I was going to say and-"_

"Only a man who truly cares about a woman shakes when he asks her out because he's afraid his heart will be broken if she says 'no'." My voice merged with the memory of my mother's. "So she said 'yes', and after that they met up practically every day for the next month. But then the business deals ended, and it was time for both to go home." I heard Britain make a dismayed sound, probably for the sake of his citizen. "However, in my time there are many ways to stay in touch, and they decided to exchange information like phone numbers." I struggled to remember what else my parents had told me for a second, but then I remembered.

"So after they parted, they called each other often. Rarely did they meet, except the times Crispin found an internship in the same country Kiwa's company happened to send her. Yet that was the best they could manage, and the system worked well for the next year and a half. Then, as you can expect, Crispin proposed and they decided to get married... Twice." I smirked at Britain's taken aback expression.

"Twice?!" Britain sounded like he couldn't quite believe me.

"Yes, they got married twice. Why? Because Crispin's family insisted they have the wedding in England, and Kiwa, after much prompting from Crispin, told her mother about their engagement." Britain looked concerned at the mention of my grandmother. "Oddly enough, Kiwa believes it was the first time her mother said she was proud of her."

 _"She didn't care he wasn't Japanese, she was just glad I was finally getting married. She probably thought I'd be a housewife after I told her Crispin had graduated from the university... I didn't correct her." My mother shrugged._

"She even insisted they have a traditional wedding in Japan, and they couldn't deny Kiwa's mother when the woman even paid for everything. Poor Crispin made a fool of himself in that wedding, he didn't know much about Japanese traditions after all...but the British wedding made up for everything. In fact, Kiwa was the one that felt foolish in that one... She had only recently found out she was pregnant after ordering the dress."

 _"I looked like a stuff turkey." My mother insisted._

 _"Oh, come off it! You were beautiful!" My father insisted right back._

 _"Says you." My mother tisked._

"And that brought up another problem, like with the wedding situation, except this was more serious than picking the wedding location." I sighed heavily, recognizing the weight of my words. "This question of where to raise their child was much more important to them." I drifted off, feeling it getting too personal. "Would the child speak English or Japanese? Grow up with a western or non-western culture? And what about Kiwa and Crispin's wants? Which one would have to leave behind their family and all they've ever known for a new and unfamiliar country?" I asked rhetorically, and Britain's expression softened.

"But they loved each other, Britain, like real, _genuine_ love." I nodded to myself in certainty. "And though they loved their countries very dearly," I stared at Britain sincerely, "They loved each other much more and decided that neither should be forced to conform to the other's standard of living, so they decided to move to a country neither was born in. And what better neutral ground than the diverse country they had met in?"

" So Kiwa called her sister in Chicago and asked her for some advice, and her sister invited her to live with her in Chicago." I briefly wondered how close she came to saying "yes" and how that would of impacted my life before hurrying on. "Kiwa and Crispin thought about, and they spent so many nights staring at a U.S. map with indecision. But one night, they were determined to stay up until they could agree on at least a state, and on that night, Kiwa realized she couldn't pronounce one of the states name." Albeit, even I couldn't remember all the states in the U.S. "So she asked Crispin what it was called, her told her, and then she was laughing her heart out."

 _"I thought she had gone bonkers. Your mother doesn't laugh at anything except my jokes." My father mentioned._

"The state was Ohio, and I don't know if you know this, but in Japanese that name is pronounced the same way as 'ohayou'. That means 'good morning' in Japanese. So at two o'clock in the morning, Kiwa heard of this place called Ohio, and she started laughing because she claimed it was like America was greeting her. Like America was telling her 'Welcome to Ohio!'." I smiled wide, as I always had a soft spot for this part of the story.

"Regardless, they took it as a sign. So they did their research and found this nice Ohioan city, which happened to be just four hours away from Chicago in case they needed someone... So they found an apartment, moved there, and their baby was born a couple of months later. This girl, they named-"

"Amaya." Britain interrupted, and I nodded.

"And the rest is history... My history." I concluded.

 _Finally, I told someone._ It was like a weight had been lifted after saying all that.

"That was a rather interesting tale..." Britain sounded like he hadn't quite digested all the information yet. "I suppose your world, or perhaps your time, is vastly different than mines for such a meeting to occur." Britain concluded, still seemingly absorbing the details.

"Yeah, it is, or you wouldn't have heard of a Englishman and Japanese woman getting together."

"Nor would you hear of a Japanese person immigrating to the U.S. from what I have been told." Britain added, almost in a mutter. Yet I felt my heart stop for a second.

 _Yeah. Who'd want to come to the U.S. just to be put in those...internment camps._ I shuddered inwardly at the thought, and a second too late, I realized I had spoken out loud since Britain was staring at me in surprise. However, that shock soon transformed into understanding.

"Is that why you didn't tell America about your heritage? ...You were afraid?" A dark look glossed Britain's eyes, and in true anime animation, I saw his eyes disappear beneath strands of his hair.

"No." I said sternly. "I didn't even think about that... I honestly didn't think my ethnicity was that big of deal, probably because it isn't so much in my time period. I even thought about mentioning it to America once when it occurred to me he didn't know." My shoulders fell as I stared at the ground. "But then I did remember some American history, and suddenly I became very aware that I hadn't seen a single Japanese or Japanese American the entire time I was in the U.S." I had seen some Chinese and even a few Koreans, but Japan was probably the only Japanese person I had contact with while in Hetalia. "Then, I was...apprehensive." I attempted not to dwell on the idea that America could of placed me in those camps, though I felt myself grow tense.

However, a hand suddenly landed on my shoulder and I looked up at him without an expression. "He wouldn't have, not after getting to know you. America's many things, but cruel isn't one of them." Britain told me seriously before a light scowl came upon his face. "He's too blasted naive to be intentionally cruel." Britain huffed, and I smiled at the attempt to make light of the serious topic.

"I know he wouldn't now... But in the beginning...if I had told him I was a Japanese-British American..." I trailed off and Britain stared at me, his thick eyebrows drawn together. "Would he have even heard American? Or British? ...Or would he have just heard _enemy_?" My voice was thick and my expression was dark. Britain's mouth shut, and I turned away from him when he didn't immediately reply because I had already came to the same, terrible conclusion.

 _Can you blame him? Pearl Harbor had just happened._ The rational voice was right, but my heart was still heavy.

"..." Britain didn't say a word, knowing I didn't want false assurance, but his hand remained on my shoulder for the next few minutes.

And during that time of quietly pondering the "what ifs", maybe that was all I needed.

* * *

"I can't believe they left us!" I shout-whispered to Canada while thumping my foot up and down repeatedly, in impatience. I could feel my face heating up under the blaze of the sun as I and Canada stood on the sidewalk in the middle of the downtown area.

 _Seriously?! Who drops off two people in the middle of Chicago, forgets the two people, and then drives off?!_ It was early afternoon when America and Britain finally agreed to discuss their battle plans in some cafe. Apparently it was the best middle ground for us all so I, America, and Canada could enjoy our vacation by visiting a restaurant in the city while also suiting Britain's need to immediately discuss some important Allies strategy against Germany, which required his and America's army working together. All had gone well until America had spotted some store, saw they had this new product that he had just needed to have now, and had ushered us all into the store with him. After that, somehow we had all ended up splitting up in the shop, and by the time I came out, it was in time to see Canada watch America, Britain, and France drive off without us.

"It's okay, they do it all the time." Canada responded, though he sounded as despondent as felt.

Yet I turned to him in self righteous anger, my 40s gray dress flowing a bit while I turned to face him. "No it isn't. Just because something happens often doesn't make it 'okay' behavior." I wasn't chiding him, but I was thinking of a particular American I wanted to give a serious dressing down for leaving me and Canada behind.

"I-I guess when you put it that way, you're right." Canada admitted hesitantly, and I wondered if he was merely saying it to appease my anger. "And he shouldn't forget you, especially with your sleepwalking." Canada mentioned lightly, and my ears picked up on his slight aggravation for my sake.

 _Aw, Canada worries about me! So kawaii!_ Despite my amusement, I was mildly surprised to hear it come from the passive nation, but I too did think it was slightly reckless of America. I did have this odd condition where I could literally sleepwalk even during the day, and yet he had left me completely unattended _(doubtful he remembered Canada)_.

"Yeah, and you too." I huffed in anger, placing my fists on my hips. "Now how in the world are we going to find them in this huge city?" I asked, watching swarms of people walk by us.

 _Even in this time period it seems pretty crowded. Skyscrapers aren't as tall though._ I had visited my aunt once when I was about eight years old, but the memory of Chicago was faded so I wasn't completely certain of my assessment.

"I don't think they even mentioned the restaurant name, those hosers." I heard Canada mutter to himself in true passive aggressive form. Apparently the heat was also taking a toll on him, and making him just as upset as me.

"Hmmm?" I racked my brain for an idea. "Maybe we can call them?" I suggested, preferring to get to the air conditioned restaurant rather than rant about America. Though the idea of I and Canada having a rant session about his brother was amusing.

"Eh? Maybe I can call the hotel and leave them a note to tell America that he left us here." Canada began looking around the area before he paused on one particular section. "I can use that phone booth." Canada pointed to the old fashioned, glass booth and I followed him.

 _Woah, this takes me back. I ain't seen one of these since I was like six._ By the time I was seven, most of the booths were removed or abandoned and trashy looking due to the popularity of the cellphone.

 _Oh, how life has changed since the early 2000s._

"W-Wait here, please." Canada told me, and I soon realized why he wanted me to wait beside the booth when I noted the small interior it had. Therefore I nodded, and Canada preceded into the booth while I returned my gaze to the crowds of people.

 _Huh? Is that who I think it is?_ My eyes had been lazily roving the area, but had landed on the ground when I spied a familiar tan fur ball.

"Ameri-cat?" I mouthed to myself, watching said feline walk in front of a group of young women. They halted in surprise, but before he could react, the nation-cat threw himself on the ground and started to roll on his back.

"Awww!" I could hear the girls' collective cooing even above the roar of the crowd, and I thought I saw pink bubbles and hearts float around them as two bent down to pet him. I couldn't discern what was really going on until one of the girls accidently dropped their hotdog on the ground near America-cat.

 _That little con artist. So that's how he gets food when I'm not around._ The two girls petting him gasped as America-cat sprung up and dove for the meat. He then dashed away with the hotdog in his mouth like he had won a gold medal at the Olympics, leaving the girls to stare at him in a confused stupor. I then giggled as I watched him run over to a familiar orange and white cat, who was standing on the sidelines.

"Mao." Britain-cat somehow managed to make an exasperated expression appear on his feline features when America-cat started showing off the hotdog to him proudly. Clearly he hadn't approved of the American's tactic, probably deeming it ungentlemanly. Though I was a bit surprised when suddenly Britain-cat was nearly toppled over as a tall, fluffy brown cat strutted up next him.

 _Well if it isn't French fry in cat form._ I wasn't too shocked to see the feline with the other two, as it seemed the nation-cats tended be in the same area as their human versions and do the same things. Hence, I amused myself by watching their expected interaction, which was France-cat and Britain-cat hollering at each other while America-cat laid on the ground and watched them. His eyes twinkling as he ate the hotdog like it was popcorn and the elder cats became his source of entertainment. I would have continued watching them, but ironically, I abruptly felt like I was the one being watched.

 _Who's there?_ I glanced around the immediate area, wondering where the sensation of being watched was coming from. However, it was hard to gather even a clue when there were so many crowds of people wandering around.

 _Maybe I'm imagining things._ However, the feeling that someone was staring at me had yet to leave. Thus I resumed the search and turned my head back and forth to find the culprit.

"There you are!" I jumped as Canada suddenly entered my vision while maintaining a harried demeanor. "I thought you were going to wait outside." It was at this moment I realized that I had wandered a bit during my search, but it was also at this time that I realized the sensation of being watched was gone.

 _I was probably just imagining things anyway_. I dismissed my prior feelings in favor of focusing on the present.

"Oh, sorry." I replied while coming out of my daze. "You didn't think I'd leave you or something, right?" I teased a bit.

"N-No, I just-"

"Here, let me prove I'm not going to leave you behind." I smiled kindly and then grabbed Canada's hand in my mines.

"W-What?!" Canada's face exploded into a deep shade of pink, and I couldn't help but laugh at the reaction. "Can't lose each other if we hold hands. Why else do you think parents hold their kids hands?" I mentioned easily.

"Um, well, I-I guess you're right." Canada eventually settled, though his face has yet to return to its natural shade. However, he managed to move on. "I left the message, but I'm not sure when they'll get it." Canada informed me.

"Well, someone has to remember us eventually." I shrugged, watching the crowds go by since I could no longer see the trio of cats hanging around.

"I hope so." Canada supplied.

"And I know so." I agreed in certainty.

* * *

"Five hours, America! Five. Frigging. Hours. That's how long you took to recall one of us were missing!" I shouted while America nursed his injured head, which is where I had struck him the minute he got out of the car looking all the world like a sheepish child.

"Dude, it's not my fault! Britain and France were super distracting!" America complained as our entire group walked down the sidewalk.

"I believe May is aware it isn't merely your fault...for once." Britain chimed in from behind me while holding an ice pack to his forehead, which had also been a victim of my fury.

"Oui, the madamesselle was furious at us all!" France added his two cents, also holding an ice packet to his shoulder. However, he lowered his voice as he muttered about every rose having thorns.

My grim expression became more vicious while I hissed, "Just be glad I didn't aim for your pretty little face, French fry." France raised his hands in surrender and drifted to the back of our entourage. Thus I tried to ignore the fact everyone, including Canada, had made a wide berth around me possibly because I was giving off a terrifying aura that could rival Russia's. Yet I simply couldn't convince myself to care about that tidbit as I continued to stew in my anger.

"But I totally thought of you!" America announced, yet I gave him a skeptical expression.

"Eventually!" America corrected, then he suddenly stuck a hand in his coat pocket before tugging out a small, white object. "I even got you this!" America claimed before shoving a baseball into my hands.

I didn't immediately react, confused by the sudden motion, but then I recovered. "And what am I supposed to with this?" I questioned angrily, not in the mood to be appreciative and not attempting to restrain all the anger I had built up for the last five hours.

 _What does he expect me to do? Play?! In this heat?!_ I thought cynically. Though the rational side of me knew the heat of summer had been proven to make people more easily angered, and I had been no exception all day.

"Uhhh, we can go play ball!" America enthusiastically replied as he started looking over my head. "Over there!" America pointed to some large field, which laid in front of a park. It appeared that few people were hanging around it though, probably because it was getting late.

"You're not serious." I deadpanned, but then the ball was plucked out of my hand and America suddenly had a baseball mitt covering his other hand.

"Let's have some fun!" America cheered, grabbing my hand and Canada's before dragging us to the middle of the field. Though I noted France and Britain didn't budge, only watched us in exasperation.

"Are you serious?" I questioned America while he shoved a baseball mitt on my hand _(where do they come from?!)._ "There's no way you'll convince us all to play." Then I added an afterthought. "Play isn't even in Britain's vocabulary." However, America didn't seem to hear me as he started pulling his arm back in preparation to throw, and I didn't take note where he was aiming.

"Stop this foolishness!" Britain shouted from his place behind us, not noticing the ball in America's hand since he was squinting up at the sun as if to ask the universe why he had to put up with America's antics so often.

"Wait, are you-" A second to late I realized which direction America was facing, but didn't have time to say more before the ball soared faster than a jet plane towards its target.

"We haven't finished discussing the bombing strategy on Germa- Ah!" I closed my eyes for a second, not wanting to see how badly Britain would fair after the ball hit him.

 _WAP!_ I flinched at the sound of the baseball colliding with flesh before cautiously peeking my eyes back open.

"Are you insane?! You nearly hit me!" I blinked rapidly in surprise as Britain marched over to us without any new bruises, but instead held the baseball in one raised hand.

 _H-He caught it?!_ I suppose I shouldn't have been so surprised considering Britain had been in some intense battles multiple times throughout his life, and probably honed some good reflexes after a while.

"Could you stop being so childish for one damn minute?!" Britain shouted, waving the ball threateningly in America's face, though the American merely laughed back.

"Dude, I totally thought you were too old to catch that!" America snickered, causing Britain's face to darken.

Though I was quick to intervene and rushed to pick the baseball from Britain's hand, which had been starting to twitch as he shook with anger. "Wow, Britain, I didn't know you had totally rad baseball skillz." I commended him, causing Britain to forget his anger in favor of staring at me like he wasn't sure I was still speaking English.

"What?" Britain questioned, but I didn't reply as I started to toss the baseball up and down.

 _...Maybe it would do some good for us to just relax and play some ball._ My typical calm had finally returned, and the idea of simply enjoying ourselves like I and America had originally intended was now very pleasing.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to play for a little while." I began backing up from the trio, causing Britain and Canada to stare at me in bewilderment.

"Eh?"

"Dude, this is going be totally awesome!"

"You can't be serious, I'm-" I turned to Britain with a teasing smirk, and he took one look at the playful gleam in my eyes before backing up. "M-May? Why are you looking at me like-" I saw a flash of recognition cross his eyes a moment before I sent the ball flying toward him.

"Play ball!" I announced to officially begin the game.

And after that, the next two hours passed in what felt like minutes.

Somehow every one of us got roped into this baseball game, though France claimed he merely enjoyed seeing our bodies in such an active state _(pervert),_ which is why I promptly aimed for his face the next time I got the ball.

"Yo, catch this, bro!"

"Wait, America! I'm not read to- Ooof! ...Maple..."

I flinched for Canada's sake as America nailed him the forehead for what had to be the seventh time, considering all the lumps forming on his poor body.

"Score for Team U.S.A!" America cheered before suddenly high-fiving me. I actually had no idea when we had formed teams since I thought we were just playing catch. Yet, since everyone excluding myself was being pummeled every time America aimed at them, I didn't question it.

"Stop cheating, you nimrod!" Britain shouted at him with a couple of bumps on his head. He was also perspiring slightly, as he and America were the most competitive ones in this game, and he too didn't seem aware a game of catch didn't consist of counting scores.

"I'm not cheating!" America shouted back while he caught the baseball in his glove.

"Yes you are!" Britain insisted, barely dodging as the baseball that soared past where his head had been. "You're injuring the other team to the point that we can't throw. That's cheating by your own sports' standards." Britain stated a matter of factly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Am not! See!" America pointed to France who had the ball clutched in his hand. "France is doing fine!" However, all of sweat dropped when he attempted to toss the ball and it made it about five feet before falling to the ground and rolling over to America.

"T-That was a warm-up throw." For once in my life, I thought I actually saw France heat up in embarrassment, which was pure gold and caused me to laugh fairly hard.

"You imbecile! You're the reason that we're losing!" Britain's annoyance from "losing" found a new target in the Frenchman as he stomped over to him.

"Moi?! You must be mistaken. I thought it was your failing eyesight causing you to miss America, old man!" France jeered and Britain scowled.

"Why don't I show you how great my aim is by hitting you in the-" Britain was cut off as the baseball nailed him in the back, causing him to tumble into France. Thus both Europeans fell into a heap on the field.

"And Team U.S.A scores again!" America cheered like he had scored at an Olympic event before falling into a fit of laughing. I and Canada watched in exasperation while the ball rolled back towards us.

"...Yeaaah, he's taking this a bit too far." I told Canada, who seemed to limp while he approached me.

"He always gets like this when we play catch." Canada commented, and I noted the multiple bruises on his face right as the ball halted by my feet.

"Hm, maybe someone should do something about that." I picked up the baseball with a devilish grin and Canada stared at me in confusion.

"B-But how?" He questioned while I took a few steps back and squinted one eye to see my target better.

"Like this." I threw the ball with all my might, and Canada gasped as he saw it approach the back of America's head. America himself seemed to sense it as he abruptly stopped laughing, but didn't have time to turn around before the ball slammed into his back and he was bowled over.

"W-WHAT THE HELL!" America shouted as the force sent him rolling into the the same spot Britain and France had been fighting to get up from. Unfortunately, he collided with them both and all three were sent back to the ground.

"Get off of me you fools!"

"Dudes, what hit me?!"

"Ah! My precious cloak has a tear in it! This will take hours to fix!"

"You guys are one dysfunctional family." I chuckled while Canada and I watched in amusement as the argument went on and the sun set in the distance.

"No we're not." Canada's soft statement caused me to turn to him, perplexed. Yet Canada merely smiled down at me and stated more firmly, " _We're_ a dysfunctional family."

"..." I was left speechless for a second while I gaped at him, but then a small smile slowly inched onto my face.

Then I turned back to the scene in front of us with the smile lingering as I said, "Yes, _we_ are."

"-America, so help me, I will replace your coffee with tea again!"

"That's not even funny, dude! Last time you did that, I had to go to the hospital for three days and none of the nurses would let me eat my burgers! It totally sucked!"

"Don't exaggerate!"

"Yes, America, do not exaggerate when it could have been worse!"

"Exactly, you-"

"For example, he could of fed you British cuisine! That is true horror!"

"SHUT UP, FROG FACE!"

Dysfunctional indeed, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day...watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of **time**." ~John Lubbock

* * *

 **Well that was fun, and I hope you enjoyed it too! Next time expect to see May and the rest of the Allies!**

 **Byes!**


	23. Chapter 23: Bridge Over Unsteady Waters

**Over 100 reviews?! Thank you guys so much! And speaking about reviews, know that the requests you've made are either being considered by me or are already an idea of mine (are you guys physic?). Also, I really appreciate those that offered constructive critism, and I promise to try to apply it to future chapters. :)**

 **On another note, I'm sorry for taking so long to update, but I've started editing this fanfic's old chapters while also writing new chapters, and it took longer than I expected. However, I don't expect next time to take this long, so don't worry!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia... What? ...You were expecting me to say more** **?**

* * *

 **Tension** (also known as Strain): A feeling of nervousness or **Fear** that prevents relaxation

* * *

 _September 1943_

"WOOHOOO!" I flinched at the abrupt collage of cheers that rang out from downstairs, and immediately paused in my descent. I then crouched low on the middle of the staircase since the cheering had made me reconsider barging in on the crowd below, and instead decided to use this time to scope out the danger by stealthily peeking over the banister.

"DUDES, THIS IS AWESOME!"

"PARTY ALL NIGHT!"

"CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!"

"PLAY IT LOUDER!"

 _The testosterone in this house is overwhelming._ I felt some of my nerve crumble as I looked down at the multitude of uniformed men, everything from Navy to Air Force, whom were currently invading America's first floor.

 _And how many radios does America have on? The whole neighborhood must hear us!_ Unfortunately, America was once again throwing one of his parties. His reasoning being that the American army had been victorious against the Axis in an important battle, and giving every currently non-active army man a chance to celebrate before they were shipped out again was good for morale _(yeah, suuure)._

 _I can't even find America in this crowd, they're all so alike._ Once more, my theory that Americans in this world were basically carbon copies of America was proven correct as I watched the rambunctious men converse at abnormally loud volumes, scarf down burgers, and dance to jazz music.

 _But I've got to suck it up, or else someone here might read it!_ I told myself firmly while rising to a stand.

 _Come on, girl! You just have to slip by, grab the book, and make a run for it._ I tried to reassure myself as I cautiously headed downstairs. Originally, I hadn't planned on leaving the safety of my room, and had been quick to close my bedroom door with an audible click in reply to America's invitation to the party. The fact that being the only girl in a party full of drunk men might be unpleasant for me clearly never occurring to him _(oh, America)._ However, I had a nightly practice of reviewing all the information I had on my transportation into Hetalia before going to bed, and as I prepared to do so today, I had realized the notebook was missing from my room and the last place I had seen it was downstairs.

 _Dang it, America!_ _Why ya gotta love partying so much?!_ I knew it wasn't really his fault, more of my carelessness than anything, but I wasn't in an agreeable mood tonight. I had never been much of a party person, attending prom and homecoming mainly due to my friends' prompting, and I certainly didn't like wearing dresses. However, here I was, about to enter an insane party and stuck in a '40s dress, which I had shrugged on in case I would be spotted. I had no idea what the dress' style was called, but it was a short sleeved, emerald dress with ripples on the bottom.

 _Time to Agent Carter this._ I gathered up my nerve and scanned the lower floor while remaining in the shadows. I wasn't worried about making too much noise, considering how loud it was in here, but being spotted was a primary concern. Thus I waited to see the majority of men get caught up in a drinking game, causing most of the crowd to cluster near the kitchen, before I went into action. Then I ducked my head, abandoned the staircase, and glided near the wall to avoid the gaze of a few stragglers, whom were making conversation in random areas in the living room.

 _Get to the door, get to the door!_ The last place I remembered having my notebook was in the study room that was adjacent to the living room. The fact it was merely a doorway away from the living room had contributed to my belief that retrieving the notebook was worth the risk. That, and I was seriously worried about what could happen if a nosy American decided to read it. And considering America was infamous for getting into other countries' business, I had little faith in the army men not to pry.

 _Now!_ I all but ran into the study, not even looking back, and then glued myself to the wall again in case someone decided to wander by the room.

 _Swoosh yeah, I made it! ...Jeez, I'm old. No one has said that since the early 2000s._ I brushed off such thoughts while I began scanning the dark room for the book. Though I struggled to make out anything as I didn't want to risk drawing attention to myself by turning on the room's light, so I only had a faint glow from the living room to aid me in my search.

 _Is this it?_ I had been mainly brushing my hands along the room's furniture to investigate, so when I felt my hand bump into a hard, rectangular object, I stopped. Then I lifted it up close to my face and opened it to make sure, as I didn't want to go upstairs and realize I had to make a second trip to retrieve the notebook.

 _Yeah, this has to be it._ It was hard to make out the words, but I recognized my handwriting. Thus I gave a sigh of relief and smiled at my accomplishment.

Until a heavy hand landed on my shoulder.

I immediately leapt to the side in order to remove their hand from my person, then I latched onto their arm, and heaved them down with it. "Ugh!" The person grunted as they fell flat on their back, yet I continued the motion instinctively and pulled their arm forward with a great amount of force before releasing them so the momentum caused them to roll out of the room and straight into the staircase.

 _Thump!_ Only after I watched a uniformed body collide headfirst into the banister did I realize my error.

 _Whoops._ While I had intended to defend myself against my unknown attacker, I hadn't meant to perform a Katien Nage, which was also known as a rolling throw. Thus I hurried to walk over to the unmoving man and peer down at him, completely forgetting stealth in favor of examining him.

"Are you okay?" Thankfully, the light was better out here so I could see the man with better clarity.

 _Whoa, he really looks like America._ With a bomber jacket on, the air force uniform underneath, blonde hair and a pair of glazed over blue eyes _(are there spirals in them?)_ , he could of passed for America's older brother.

Yet I dismissed that observation when the man continued to stare up at me without blinking. "Hey, are you alright?" I asked a bit louder, figuring he couldn't hear me over the roar of the party and thus my voice couldn't bring him out of his stupor.

"Is...is..." The man whispered, his eyes clearing while I bent down by his side.

"What is it?" I leaned in closer because the roar of cheering was drowning out his voice.

"Is this the, um, bathroom?" The man stuttered out while continuing to blink rapidly, and without a second thought, I performed an anime fall.

 _Great job, May. You knocked over a poor drunk guy that was just looking for the bathroom._ The sting of guilt was quick and painful, and I briefly face-palmed over my error.

"But what's a dame doin' in here? Isn't this the men's?" The guy continued to go on while I tried to let go of my embarrassment.

"Sorry," I decided to start off even though I doubted the man was even aware I had thrown him, as he appeared to be drunk. "Let me help you to the bathroom." I gently pulled the man up into a sitting position and then guided him into wobbly standing one. Though I suddenly noticed I wasn't being discreet, and hastily glanced around to make sure the coast was clear.

"BURGERS! SO MANY BURGERS!"

"CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!"

"AND THEN SHE TOLD ME SHE ONLY DATES BRITISH GUYS! IT'S SO NOT FAIR!"

"I KNOW, BABES, RIGHT?!"

"CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!"

I was pleasantly surprised to see everyone was completely absorbed in this drinking game, or engrossed in conversations, and no one was even looking our way. Therefore, I had no trouble helping the man walk over towards the kitchen since the downstairs bathroom was next to the dining room.

"Hey, you're like really really pretty." The airman slurred out while I half dragged him to the edge of the crowd. "Can I get ya a drink?" The man asked while I paused since I didn't want to risk attracting any attention by getting closer to the kitchen.

 _He should be able to make it from here._ I came to a decision. Then I turned to the man and waited for him to look me in the eye before saying, "The bathroom is through that door, and then to the left." I pointed to the kitchen's doorway, which was fortunately where the crowd thinned out, and then looked back at the man to make sure he understood.

Yet I felt dismay when I saw the airman held a quizzical expression, and was looking back and forth between where I was gesturing and myself before questioning, "Where are you pointing?" The man sounded seriously confused, and even rubbed his eyes as if to clear his vision.

 _Poor guy, must have had waaay too many drinks._

I chuckled a bit before returning my gaze forward to where I was pointing. "I'm pointing right-" My words died sharply and abruptly while my mind ceased functioning.

 _...What..._ The roaring music faded under the sound of my increasing heartbeat.

The overwhelming heat from the mass of bodies in the room left.

In fact, I felt downright cold as I stared at my gesturing arm.

And found nothing there.

 _My hand!_ I could do little more except stare at where my hand should be, but no matter how many seconds passed, I saw nothing but my arm leading to air.

 _T-This can't be happening! You're dreaming!_ I shut my eyes tightly and took in large breaths to slow down what had became panicked breathing. Then slowly, fearfully, I opened my eyes back up.

"Huh?" I had to blink a few more times before the reality of the situation became undeniable.

"H-How..." My hand was exactly where it should be, pointing to the doorway and held out in front of me.

"Oh! I see now!" The man suddenly announced before stumbling forward and out of my grip, which had gone slack during my near heart attack. "You're nice and pretty. I really should get you a drink." The man mumbled, stumbling towards the kitchen without looking back.

 _What... Lord, what did I just see? _I stood in place like a statue, uncaring if anyone saw me, while my mind sluggishly rebooted. And only after a few minutes was I able to cautiously lower my hand, strangely worried that my slightest movement would make it disappear.

Then I stared down at my palm and softly whispered, "I...I think I'll take you up on your offer."

I could certainly use a drink, but the man never returned, and my quiet plea went unnoticed.

* * *

"And what's this all about?" I raised an eyebrow after taking my seat at the dining table, only to find a full fledged meal before me. Such as a mug of coffee, glazed donuts, and even a side of bacon.

America shrugged without looking up from his own serving, which was roughly four times the amount on my plate. "Uhhh, I felt like it?" I wasn't satisfied with that answer, and planned to question him again, but then he began inhaling his meal. Thus my mouth shut as I knew it was pointless to interrogate him while he was in what I called I-see-and-hear-nothing-beyond-my-plate mode _(name's a work in progress)_.

Before sipping on my coffee, I nonchalantly muttered. "I thought you were the one that needed special treatment this morning, considering how wasted you got last night." To my surprise, I found that even America had his limits when it came to alcohol consumption earlier this morning. I had been heading to the gym for my early morning aikido practice, only nearly to trip over the passed out nation who was drooling all over the staircase and hugging a lamp. I had then poked him until he woke up. Oddly enough he didn't say a word to me before he stumbled to the bathroom, but it mad sense when the tell-tale sounds of retching followed.

 _If only I had known he was the one in that drinking contest, I could of... Yeah, I probably wouldn't have done anything._ I shrugged, aware that as an immortal he would probably survive alcohol poisoning and noting how he seemed fine now anyway. Although I suspected the missing half of coffee jug had something to do with it.

"So I'm going have to leave right after the meeting." America suddenly stated, and I looked over to see his plate so spotless it didn't even have crumbs while I still had a slice of bacon and donut to go.

Thus I started nibbling on the bacon before questioning, "You mean to pick up South Italy?" I asked because America has mentioned it yesterday when stating the reason for his party. Apparently Italy had finally surrendered, which I was incredibly shocked about since I couldn't recall that happening in the anime. Though I had scrolled through the WWII timeline on my phone and found that it was true in my world's history so it made sense it happened in this world.

 _It's hard to believe Italy is no longer an enemy of the Allies._ The land was no longer a part of the Axis, however, Rome had been immediately taken over by German forces after Italy surrendered which made me question what that meant in this world of personified nations. Especially since America was only going in to pick up one of the Italy brothers that had sought us out.

 _I hope Italy is okay._ None of the Allies were sure since only South Italy was free of German occupation, and his brother went unmentioned.

"Yeah, I gotta help Romeo or something get away from Germany forces." America mumbled, and I couldn't tell if he genuinely didn't know or if the residual of his hangover was effecting his memory of Romano. "Anyway, Canada said he'd drive you home while I'm gone." I don't know if it was the oddness of America actually remembering his brother or his tone of voice, but something felt off from the way he said that.

However, he gave me no time to question him as he suddenly gulped down the rest of his coffee and leapt to his feet. "We've got to get a move on or someone might beat us there!" America shouted, before grabbing my hand and ignoring my yelp of surprise. Though I managed to grab the donut in a napkin, so I didn't complain as he dragged me next door. However, I dug my heels into the porch ground to slow him down when I noticed he was missing something.

"What is it, dude?" America surprisingly noticed, despite the fact he could continue dragging me with ease, and turned to me in confusion.

"Aren't you forgetting your suitcase with all your battle strategies?" I questioned, causing him to let go of me in surprise.

Next he glanced down at himself, only to see he really had forgotten his briefcase. "Aw man!" America turned and ran back into the house while tossing back, "Wait here, dude, I'll be right back!"

 _Goodness, I have to remind him practically every time!_ _How in the world did he ever live without me?_ I smiled smugly at the thought, though the expression turned into a frown as a cold breeze whipped past me. The wind being strong enough to even stir up the fallen leaves on the ground and sweep them into the air.

"Brrr." My teeth chattered for a second as I hugged myself, all the while considering whether my purple jacket and white jeans would hold up against the chill of fall. However, the strong breeze left quickly and I felt warmth return to me while the leaves settled back on the ground.

 _I should rake them up later._ I brushed a leaf off my shoulder and watched it float down to join the disarray of leaves on the ground. I knew I didn't have any chores while living with America, which said nation had brought up, but I actually found mundane work enjoyable sometimes. When examining my journal became too much, I ran out of shows to watch, and even aikido practice became too routine, I could become restless. Hence, mind numbing tasks such as racking leaves were a welcomed distraction from everything.

"...I should make leaf piles and jump in them. Paulie would love that." I didn't think of my best friend often, a personal choice of mine so I wouldn't get depressed, but sometimes the smallest things like staring at autumn leaves brought memories back that I couldn't help but dwell on.

 _Crunch._ My head snapped in the direction of the sound and my thoughts halted. However, the sidewalk where the sound originated was clear.

 _I could of sworn I heard someone step on a leaf._ I glanced around, even looking up to see if perhaps an old branch had fallen and made the noise.

 _It was...nothing._ I told myself, but a part of me didn't believe it. Normally I would have dismissed the event as nothing unusual, but I had been on the edge lately. For some reason, I had frequently felt like I was being watched at the most random of times. Thankfully, the sensation felt more like being observed briefly than a stalker staring at me, but it was still disturbing how the feeling came even when I was certain I was alone.

 _What could it be?_ I had dismissed the feeling the first couple of times, but when the feeling lingered even after I had entered the safety of America's house, I had grown a bit paranoid. It had actually gotten so bad that I stopped having a regular sleeping schedule, and had been taking advantage of my frozen condition by staying up when the feeling lingered after I entered my bed. Thus it had become typical for me to be awake for three days straight or, with the aid of coffee, five days.

 _I wonder if this is how Alphonse felt... No wonder they searched for the philosopher's stone._ Perhaps my body needed no rest, but my mind was clearly suffering from the lack of sleep as I had been notably more snappish, unfocused, and perhaps suspicious lately. America had probably noticed, which would explain why he had been even nicer to me than usual, like making me a full breakfast before leaving for work.

"Alright!" I barely stopped myself from jumping as America landed back onto the porch. "Now we can get a move on!" America cheered as he grabbed my hand and easily dragged me to the car, considering I was still in a state of shock since I hadn't heard America running over.

 _I really am unfocused, should of drank more coffee._ America only released me as he went to the drivers' side and I entered the passenger.

"Hey, what took you so long anyway?" I asked him, finally out of my daze and realizing America had been in the house for a while.

"Huh?" America must of been busy imagining his victory dance once he arrived first to the meeting before I interrupted him "Oh, I remembered whale dude needed his morning coffee too!"

"Ah." I made a sound of acknowledgement as America started to drive onto the road. He then grew silent, falling back into his day dreams, while I idly watched his house disappear behind us.

 _Look out!_ I started at the sudden sense of anxiety that overcame me, and my head jerked to face the front. Yet I saw no other vehicle on a collision course with us, or any immediate danger.

 _It's coming closer._ The sudden thought felt wrong, as if it wasn't my own. However, that was a creepy concept and made me feel claustrophobic.

 _You're fine, it's all in your head._ I opened the car window to remind myself that I wasn't trapped and the claustrophobia gradually melted away as cold wind assaulted my face.

 _"An east wind is coming."_ The quote from Sherlock occurred to me unexpectedly, yet it derived from my own memory of the show so I wasn't concerned. However, reply that left my lips was unexpected. "Yes, indeed."

The breeze intensified, I frowned, and closed the window without a second thought.

* * *

"So, dude, you totally don't mind if I grab some food, right?" America questioned as we walked out of the meeting room together and strolled through the hall.

"Of course not. I'm not going to ask you to watch me eat my lunch while you starve."

"Thanks-"

"Besides, you'd whine like an infant and ruin my appetite." I shrugged with a vicious smirk titling my lips. America then stumbled in surprise, and I couldn't help except giggle as he waved his arms wildly to regain balance before he managed to stop swaying.

"So not cool!" America cried, staring at me with mock hurt that just made me laugh harder. "Ugh, you've been hanging around Iggy too much if you act like that." America muttered a bit more seriously as he resumed walking towards the exit and I followed.

Yet I couldn't help but tease him one last time before he passed through the door. "Actually, luv," America froze merely a foot outside, released the door, and spun around to face me. "You should be more worried if I began talking with this particular inflection. Then you'd have a true reason to have an absolute row with Sir England." I pulled of Britain's voice perfectly before I sent America a wink right as the door swung close on his flabbergasted expression.

 _Wait for it._

"THAT DAMN LIMEY! MESSING WITH _MY_ CITIZEN!" The door did little to muffle his rant. "WHEN I FIND HIM I'LL-

 _Well that was fun._ I spun on the heel of my black boots while snickering a bit, though part of me worried I may have gotten Britain a death sentence. Yet I shrugged off the concern as I walked briskly back to the meeting room in order to retrieve my packed lunch.

I walked up to my backpack, and threw one of the straps on my shoulder when a small voice called. "M-May?" I looked to the side, only to find Canada was standing there with his small bear held tightly in his arms.

"Hey, Canada." I greeted with a smile.

Yet oddly enough, Canada didn't smile back and he eyes shot down in a near nervous manner. "I-I was wondering if y-you'd like to-"

"Eat lunch with you?" I finished off, in a bit of rush than usual as my eyes caught sight of someone walk pass the room. "Um, maybe later." I said absentmindedly, my head turned towards the doorway rather than Canada. I didn't intend to be rude, but I was on a tight schedule this lunch break and I didn't have much time to spare.

"Actually, I was g-going to a-ask-"

"Sorry to cut this short," I said, already speeding out the room. "But I've got to go. I'll chat later!" I called back, running into the hallway and already focused on the problem at hand.

 _Where'd he go?_ If Canada said more, I heard nothing as I spotted the tail end of a scarf disappear around the corner.

 _There he is!_ I jogged a bit to catch of with the large strides of the tallest nation in the world. Fortunately, he was walking leisurely so I soon found myself a few feet behind him.

"Russia?" I piped up softly, if only slightly warily, and the tall nation paused.

Then he turned and titled his head curiously towards me. "Small girl." He greeted, his smile widening when he looked beside me and found me alone.

 _Okay, ignoring the implications of that._ I forced a small smile to form on my lips despite the fact I found Russia's attention on me to be unnerving. However, I was aware I had purposely drawn attention to myself so it wasn't like he had sought me out like a creep.

"Hi, Russia." I started off kindly. "I wanted to talk to you about something before you left for lunch." I explained somewhat faster than usual, while Russia eyed me curiously.

"That is interesting, you have never done so before." Russia mentioned easily, his constant smile starting to cause me to fidget.

"Yeah, that's true, but I guess you could say America normally would prevent this type of meeting."

Russia's eyes twinkled with a feeling I couldn't discern _(amusement?)_. "Oh, small girl is more devious than I thought. Going behind her country's back." Russia, in his own way, seemed to tease me.

 _But it's necessary._ I pushed down the slight guilt I felt for somewhat betraying my nation.

"Well it's for a good cause." While speaking, I straightened and forced my chin up so I could look Russia in the eye.

 _Flee! Flee while you still can!_ A particularly dramatic part of myself tried to convince me to run away from the insanity I saw in Russia's eyes, but I maintained control. "I know that I've already thanked you for helping me out with the Nazis." Russia blinked, his smile dimming a bit in confusion at my choice of subject.

Yet the smile brightened up as Russia happily mentioned. "Da, it was much fun we had that day." In response, a "what is wrong with you?!" expression appeared briefly on my face before I smoothed it out.

"Um, sure, but I feel like that just wasn't enough." I tried to clarify. "What I mean is I still feel like I should thank you in some way," Russia definitely didn't seem to expect that and thus gave me a puzzled frown. "So I was wondering if maybe you wanted to hang out sometime." I squeaked just a little at the end, feeling nervous when the smile completely left Russia's face and he began staring at me with no evident emotion.

"..." The silence between us lasted for a few seconds, and I could imagine the nervous sweat drop on the side of my face as I fought to not just make a run for it.

However, as the silence lingered, I eventually stated, "We could get some coffee, tea, or even vodka, though I won't drink any, but-"

"Would America know of this?" Russia interrupted, and I looked up to see his smile had returned.

"I guess I would tell him so he wouldn't think I'd been kidnapped or something." I said, sounding uncertain because I didn't know how Russia would react. "And sure he'll be upset, but it's my choice and he can't actually stop me from hanging out with you." I concluded firmly.

"Hm." Russia gave another pause, though the smile never left him, and then his heavy hand landed on my shoulder.

I flinched, but did nothing else as Russia leaned eerily close to my face _(should I blush or panic?)_ and said, "Okay, small girl, we will meet one of the days." Russia smiled brighter.

"R-Really?" I had to admit that I wasn't certain he would be interested, so I found his answer to be a pleasant surprise.

"Mhm." Russia made a sound of agreement as he nodded before I felt his hand land on top of my head.

 _What the heck is-_ Russia preceded to pat my head a couple of times, and though I figured it was meant to be gently, my head was knocked down repeatedly.

"America will not like it, da? I would like to see how he reacts." Russia chucked and lifted his hand away while I raised an eyebrow.

 _D-Did he just treat me like an entertaining pet?!_ It wasn't like Russia was a close friend, merely an acquaintance at best, so it made sense he tended to view me as little more of a source of amusement. However, my ego was a bit bruised by his treatment.

"We do will do this soon, tiny girl." Russia interrupted my thought process with his words, and I suddenly noticed he was walking away.

"Yeah, for sure!" I put some genuine excitement in my voice as I watched Russia leave while I stayed in place.

 _That wasn't so bad- Hey! Did he just call me "tiny"?!_ I suddenly realized Russia had implied I was even smaller than usual, and a little scowl crept onto my face.

"But I'm nearly 5'7in, three inches above average female height." I muttered in slightly annoyance with a huff.

 _How dare he call me... I really do sound like Britain, maybe America is right._ My angry fit melted away as I realized that.

 _Hm, maybe this world really is affecting me and I'm starting to fit a stereotypical British person... But wouldn't I also be getting louder like America? And talking quiet like Japan?_ I briefly wondered if it were even possible for someone like me, being a person of three cultures, to become a stereotypical anything. Especially considering some of my nation's stereotypical traits were contradictory to the others, like loving tea worked for the British and Japanese in me but hating tea and preferring coffee was American.

 _Speaking of which, maybe Britain can help clarify things. I did plan on talking to him too._ I glanced at my phone, only to see my time was dwindling and I should hurry before the lunch break ended.

 _Knowing him, he should be in the break room._ I also noticed it was close to tea time, meaning Britain was probably preparing tea in the break room right about now.

 _Heh, tea time. We should totally have a coffee time in the US. I'm down for that._ I smiled as my legs carried me quickly towards the break room. Thus, in no time, I caught a whiff of a lightly scented tea and stood before the room.

However, an idea came to me right before I opened my mouth to announce my presence to Britain. Said nation unaware I was there as he sipped his apparently heavenly tea while sitting at the table, his eyes closed in contentment.

 _I don't know why, but I'm feeling devious today... This is what happens when I don't drink enough coffee._ I smiled to myself, concentrated, and then opened my mouth when I felt properly ready.

"Comrade Britain," The Brit nearly dropped his tea and his expression became one of pure terror. "You plan on sharing the tea with me, da?" It had been a struggle to maintain an even tone and not ruin my impersonation of Russia, but I lost all composure when Britain jumped to his feet and spontaneously pulled out a wand like he was ready to defend himself.

However, my gigling soon drew his attention to the doorway. "W-Wha, but where's Russia?" Britain asked fretfully, which just caused more laughter to erupt from me until I was nearly breathless. Only after a few seconds of staring did Britain realize what had occurred, but I had barely regained some of my composure and hardly noticed Britain narrowing his eyes at me.

"How immature." Britain tsked as he returned to his seat, wand disappearing, and I finally calmed. "I expect this sort of immaturity from the likes of that fool, America." Britain attempted to chide me but I allowed the insult to merely roll off of me.

"Sorry, but he's sort of a bad influence." I shrugged, walking further into the room with an apologetic smile.

"I've noticed. I'm surprised he hasn't killed you with all those greasy meals he feeds you." Britain's anger was quickly diverted to America, but I just rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, and he claims your tea is a slow-acting poison for me." Britain gained an indignant expression, but I held a hand up to stop him from raging. "But rather than argue about which one of you are attempting to shorten my life expectancy, I wanted to talk to you about my Travel." I mentioned the nickname we came up for my all things related to my transportation into Hetalia, and Britain's reddened face returned to its pallor.

"Is it anything serious?" Britain asked, concern lacing his tone as I took a seat beside him at the table.

"No, but I would like to discuss certain things about the Travel right now if you don't mind."

"Anytime." Britain stated without hesitation, setting his tea down. I then preceded to place my backpack on the ground after taking out my notebook.

"Do you have anything in particular on your mind?" Britain inquired as I started flipping through the pages until I found a page titled "Hetalia".

"Yes," I told him while he glanced at the page I had settled on.

"Oh, more questions about my world." Britain discerned, as we had already spoken about this topic. In fact, I had been talking to Britain a lot more lately, mainly because he was the only nation I could easily discuss my dilemma with because the others weren't knowledgeable enough about this topic.

"Is this about the, hm, projections that you see?" Britain questioned, referring to when I had eventually inquired whether the nations ever saw the animation effects I saw, such as question marks floating above their heads.

"No, not that." I replied a bit tersely, probably because I was still sore over the way he reacted.

 _Such an "interesting" conversation._ I didn't blame him for essentially thinking I had lost my mind, but considering he claimed to see unicorns and fairies and I believed him, I was miffed by the lack of faith. However, he had eventually believed me and it had been an overall productive session since I now knew that the animation effects were something only I could see. Thus I figured it was possibly a residue from my world, which hadn't made sense to Britain, but did to me because I knew the anime had those animation effects and having some connection to my world might of played a part in all that.

"Actually," I brought myself back to the present so as not to keep Britain's waiting too long. "I wanted to talk about myself." I explained, causing Britain's thick eyebrows to raise up in surprise.

"Yourself? How so?" Britain sent me an uncertain look.

"Well, it's more of me trying to understand your world better by understanding myself." Britain looked even more confused, so I tried again. "Basically, I'm trying to grasp your worlds' culture." Britain still appeared uncertain, therefore, I decided to jump right into it. "Remember how I mentioned people in my world aren't like yours and our personalities are more varied?" I tried to prompt his memory, causing Britain to gain a pondering expression before understanding dawned on his face.

He then grimaced before mentioning, "Yes, you mentioned that even _my_ own people could be found wearing the _Frenchie's_ clothing!" I found it amusing that Britain was still stuck on that example, which I had gave him over a month ago.

Hence I chuckled a bit before adding," Exactly. Like some Americans are quiet and studious, some Thai love eating hamburgers with fries, and some Australians listen to jazz."

"My word, how disorderly!" Britain shouted in distaste at the mere thought of my world, and I inwardly thought it hilarious.

 _It makes sense though._ Hetalia was a world of stereotypes, and from what I had seen of the anime, even after WWII and globalization people still acted stereotypical. Therefore, my world probably sounded very disorganized since people typically didn't follow stereotypical patterns.

"How can you even tell who's one of your own people?" Britain questioned more to himself than me.

Yet I still replied with a shrug. "Sometimes you can't. Especially in the U.S., where so many people are mixed up with everything. You can't assume someone is a foreigner based on their appearance, language, or personality." I thought back to my own experience on both sides of the spectrum. As I myself had been mistaken as someone from every inhabited continent, excluding Australia or Africa, yet I too had incorrectly guessed someone's ethnicity before.

"Truly chaotic." Britain muttered, still in shock at the apparent madness of my world _(claims the Hetalian)_. "I would have to trust my own sense simply to tell whether one was mine in your world." Britain muttered plainly before taking a sip of his tea. Though I quieted since his word choice reminded me of my original purpose.

"About this sense of yours, I wanted to talk to you about that." Britain's eyes flashed with a brief emotion, though it faded before I could comprehend it. "I don't mean to be intrusive," I attempted to be polite as I was uncertain whether the nations considered it personal information, and Britain was already a naturally private person.

Yet he didn't interrupt me so I continued. "But as you know, you guys are unique to this particular world, and therefore understanding you better might help me understand this world better." I tried to sound reasonable, when in reality, I was just flat out curious.

"You wish to know how nations sense their own people?" Britain asked, though he wasn't looking at me. Instead he stared out the room's window while sipping his tea.

"Like I said, if it's personal-"

"No, not all." Britain waved off my concern, and then sighed. "I am simply trying to find the words to describe it so a human such as yourself might comprehend." Britain explained with a thoughtful look. Thus I gave him time to think by tugging out my Superman-themed lunch box _(America and his gifts for the win!)_ and resting it on the table.

"Though we call it a sense," Britain began suddenly, now staring hard at table as he concentrated. "It's actually more of a feeling than one of the five senses." Britain now stared at me to make certain I was listening, which I was. "It's sort of like when I see a person or group of people, I feel like I know them." Britain's forehead scrunched up, him clearly struggling to find the words.

Hence I tried to help by offering, "You mean that feeling that you've seen someone before but you can't place where?"

"Exactly!" Britain quick affirmative surprised me, but I smiled at the fact I could relate. "It's as if we are familiar with them, even if we have never seen them before. Yet we are aware that isn't the case because the feeling is quite prominent, and it only intensifies the closer you are to one of your own." Britain continued, staring at me to gauge whether I understood.

"I think I get it." I nodded slowly before another thought popped into my head. "Does this sense only apply to people born in your land or does it even apply to new citizens, like legal immigrants for example?" I asked, causing Britain to frown slightly as he fell into deep thought.

After a beat of silence though, he stated. "Well, that is slightly different because you are discussing citizenship instead of nationality."

"So it's mainly a sense for people born in your country? For people with a British nationality?"

"For the most part," Britain admitted. "Not to say the feeling isn't there when one holds the citizenship but not nationality. The feeling exists, but it's far weaker and more dismissible." Britain sighed, while I felt my head spin as I attempted to understand what he was saying.

Though Britain saw my confusion and hurried to say. "I suppose the sense can be placed in three categories. Those with citizenship but not nationality, like immigrants. The second is those with both, such as the ones born in my land. Then the third is one with neither, but hold a connection to me." Britain stated, and I thought his eyes flickered towards me before returning to stare at his near empty tea cup.

"For those born here, the sense is definite...even if they leave for another country, they'll always have the mark." Britain muttered, and I wondered if I heard or imagined the sadness lining his tone.

Thus I was hesitant to speak, but I had to if I truly wanted to understand. "So if my father were here," Britain definitely avoided eye contact with me, and I wondered if it wounded his pride to know my father had left him, even if it had been in another world. "Though he has dual-citizenship, British and American, you'd sense him easily."

Britain nodded, cautiously looking up again. "Indeed, I'd probably sense him more clearly than America would. Especially considering his constant obliviousness." Britain rolled his eyes at the thought before moving on. "Then with immigrants who have _legally_ gained citizenships," Britain empathized the point, and I figured it meant illegal ones did not bring out the same feeling.

 _They probably aren't picked up by Britain at all, only their original nations would sense them I guess._

"They give the same feeling, but it's harder to sense and I have to be closer to them to merely notice them." Britain explained. "Beyond those two groups, there is but one exception." Britain took a purposefully sip of his tea, likely as an excuse not to explain just yet.

"Such as?" I had a good feeling where this was heading, and was eager to know.

"Those who are the immediate offspring of our people." Britain rushed out, and I wondered why he was nervous for some reason. "Even though they have no nationality or citizenship, if they have immediate ethnicity then they can be perceived by us faintly."

"You mean a first-generation...like me?" Britain nodded. "You can sense me to an extent?" I asked just to be clear, and Britain gave another curt nod.

"Yes, though it is extremely faint, even more so than for an immigrant." I suddenly noticed Britain seemed to subconsciously lean in closer to me as he spoke.

"And you must be really near to sense it, don't you?"

"Yes, in fact, about the distance we share now." Britain seemingly just realized how close we were and edged away, his tsundere side clearly coming out. "Without close proximity, I don't sense you at all." Britain concluded before preceding to pour himself another cup of tea and therefore, give me time to digest all the information.

 _Ah, that conversation they had last year makes sense now... Both of them can sense me._ America because of my nationality and citizenship, and Britain because of my ethnicity.

 _Probably like Japan...Japan can sense me!_ I tried to keep the shock off of my face as I suddenly realized that the Asian nation was in the same boat as Britain.

"May?" I turned to Britain, who was staring at me with a mixture of puzzlement and concern. Clearly, while the utter shock I was feeling had been masked, I still had made an odd expression.

Thus I smoothed out my face, and with a tight voice, asked. "Oh, I was just wondering..." I thought of how to properly phrase what I meant, without saying something I might regret.

 _I don't think any of the Allies know I've met Japan and talked to him... I probably shouldn't mention it right now._ I didn't necessarily believe Britain would wrongly assume I was a spy or traitor _(unlike some would)_ , especially if he let me explain, but I doubted he would have a positive reaction.

 _Even if he doesn't view it as a betrayal, he might tell America and then I'd really be on house arrest._ I may not have lied about meeting Japan, as no one ever asked, but it could be considered a lie by omission.

Thus I concluded not to mention that, and instead posed it as a question. "If I were to meet Japan," A part of me felt wrong for my misleading phrasing of the word, but I shoved the feeling away. "Would he sense me like you do?"

Britain blinked, his tea cup hovering between its saucer and his mouth, before he slowly lowered it down. "Well, I suppose he would if he was given enough time and a close proximity to you." Britain spoke with a thoughtful tilt to his head, but then his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Fortunately we've not been forced to test such a hypotheses. Who knows what he would do with such information." Britain asked himself, almost angrily, while I felt a bit worried by the thought.

However, Britain suddenly placed his hand on my shoulder and faced me with a serious expression. "I won't allow that meeting to occur though, so there's nothing to worry about." His hand briefly gave my shoulder a firm squeeze, but I barely noticed as I stared into the green of his eyes.

 _So protective? No...possessive?_ I couldn't find the right word to describe the glint in his eyes, but it dispersed as soon as his hand left me and I didn't figure it out before it was gone. However, the glint did remind me of another question I had in mind.

"Britain?" Said nation looked up to me from the tea pot he had been glaring at, though I was certain the teapot wasn't the source of his ire. "I also wanted to know if my special condition is the reason America is so..." I once again found myself lacking words, not wanting to accidentally insult America but unable to think of a proper word. Thus I shrugged and decided to start again. "Well, he doesn't seem very happy when you or the other nations are around me for too long, especially you."

"That's because you're _his_ and that blasted fool believes I attempting to make you one of mines. And nothing I do or say will convince him otherwise." I was taken aback by Britain's immediate response coupled with a miffed tone.

Yet I was quick to recover. "I'm 'his'?" I questioned, wanting more details.

Britain seemed to realize how odd his phrasing sounded and quickly amended. "Basically, you are in a precarious location as a first-generation American. Typically, the fact you were born and raised in America would make you completely his."

Once again I got stuck on the phrasing, perhaps even insulted a little. Though I doubted my expression showed this, Britain apparently noticed it to an extent and clarified. "As in, America has an entitlement to you, I suppose you could say."

"Which means?"

"It means that essentially anything you do, accomplish, or succeed at in your life is guaranteed to be seen as America's success too... America, and only America, has the right to claim your successes as his." Britain gave me an inquiring look, making certain I was following.

I then reassured him by stating, "I guess that makes sense."

 _That is how it works in my world. If an American built the first so-and-so, then people would be told America invented it or it was an American invention._ If I invented a life-saving medicine one day, people would no doubt say America had created the vaccine.

"Yet your status isn't totally set in stone like with most of his people." Britain brought me back to the point. "Children of immigrants don't always remain in the land they're born in... They could return to the home of their ancestors, and in that case, be more of their ethnicity than their nationality." Britain explained and I nearly protested, but then I recalled someone I hadn't thought of in a long while.

 _Yuki... She left._ My cousin, the only one born in the U.S., had been practically a sister to me. We had hardly seen each other, except a few times in Chicago when I was young, but we had so much in common.

 _She abandoned me._ We got along well, despite her being my elder by five years. Probably because we both understood how it felt to be different. Neither of us knew many first generations, and I hardly knew any Asian in my Ohio city.

 _"Don't you hate how they always get our names wrong?!" She growled out, glaring at the sun above like it was to blame._

 _"Yeah, my teachers did it all the time when I was younger." I nodded vigorously, overjoyed to know someone else felt the same._

 _"Our names aren't even that hard! But if it isn't Emma, John, or Alex, they act like it's ancient Latin!" She fumed, crossing her arms. "It's not fair we have to go by nicknames, like we don't belong her like everyone else." She was too busy stewing to notice I nodded again before falling into thought._

 _I miss being Amaya._ _Yet I had gotten so absolutely tired of hearing them get my name wrong._

 _She didn't even tell me._ I tried to keep a straight face as I recalled the fact Yuki had decided to leave the U.S. and move to Japan when she was sixteen. She would live with my older, more distant cousins since my aunt hated her mother's side of the family.

 _Left me alone when no one else knew what it felt-_

"Are you alright, May?" Britain called out, and the memory faded away like whispers as I fought to push away the emotion upheaval I just had.

"Fine, just remembered something." I forced out a thin smile, and rushed to speak before he could question its authenticity. "So America honestly thinks you're trying to get me to move to England?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Apparently." Britain muttered in annoyance, glaring at the table.

"...You aren't, right?" I had to ask, and Britain's gaze shot up to stare at me in surprise.

"You too?!" Britain gawked at my apparent distrust.

"Not saying I don't believe you, especially since it would never work in this time period. And not in mines either unless something terrible happened that forced everyone from the US to become refuges." I shrugged off the concept, as in my time period of 2015, that didn't seem likely.

"Then why would you accuse me so?" Britain questioned in a huff, and a bit of hurt in his eyes.

I felt bad for asking, but I tied to fix it by explaining, "Because you treat me differently than I ever saw you treat anyone."

Britain's jaw went slack and he appeared too stunned to talk. Thus I took advantage of the moment to continue. "No offense, Britain, but when I watched you in my world, you were never really the friendly, cheery type."

"A-Are you implying I'm ungentlemanly!" Britain demanded, the pink that had been on his face turning into a darker hue.

"Not at all." Britain's face cooled, and I quickly pointed a finger straight at his face. "See! Just like that you're not even angry anymore! _I_ say one little thing and you let it go." I relished in the evidence while Britain blinked owlishly, like he never noticed I was the only one he let off the hook that easily.

"Now, from what I saw in my world and observed while in this world, you kind of get into shouting matches with practically everyone." Britain looked ready to retort and I gave him a "Try and contradict me" face.

Britain hushed reluctantly.

"And you're not a mean dude, but it's just not in your nature to be open and friendly... Yet you've been really nice to me." I stared at Britain, searching for answers in his eyes, but he soon looked away

"T-That-"

"And when I think back to it," I had to interrupt. "You didn't do that at first. In fact, you'd get upset quite easily with me before we got shipwrecked, and you only started mother-henning-"

"I do not!"

"You only started mother-henning," I spoke with a slight smirk at Britain's embarrassment. "Me after you recalled I had a British last name... Any reason for that?" I asked, attempting to keep a straight face despite how I was staring at the very sunset-pink colored cheeks on Britain, who was still refusing to make eye contact and instead stared at the floor.

"I, hrm," Britain's voice had begun much more high-pitched than he intended, so he cleared his throat before continuing. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe I just..." Britain sounded reluctantly to go on, his blush intensifying, and I felt bad for forcing this on tsundere and decided to lend a hand.

"That you what?"

Britain said nothing, then seemed to sigh harshly at his own weakness, and in a swift movement his eyes shot up to stare at mines. "That I enjoy your blasted company!" Britain shouted, his cheeks probably burning him like fire if the shade was anything to go by, and his hands fisted at his sides. Yet I knew his anger derived from his own mortification, so I wasn't as disturbed as I was amazed.

"M-My company?" I couldn't help but question, unable to think of anything else to say.

Britain nodded tersely, took a sip of scalding hot tea without remorse, and then forced out. "Yes, I...I like you as a person...and I don't think that has every really happened except with Uni and the others." The last part was spoken softly, as if he had forgotten that I already knew of his magical pals.

 _Wait...he's actually admitting I'm his-_

"If you've seen as much of my life as you claim, which I have no doubt since you're such the observant one, then you must know that I don't have many...companions." I felt stunned that Britain could actually admit that to my face, and I was also surprised by the weariness I saw on his face as he stared at the liquid of his tea.

 _He looks so…old._ It was almost funny to think such a thing, considering his literal age, but it was actually very saddening.

"I have had friends before," Britain asserted. "But they're either gone," I thought of the rare mortal human he may have befriended. "Or are simply not speaking to me anymore." I thought of Japan and the friendship they had formed after everyone else had rejected Britain.

"W-What about family?" I asked, already anticipating the answer, and Britain saw the dismay on my face and he knew I already had the answer.

"So you know about my brothers." Britain scoffed. "They're hardly family, let alone friends... But you're not like them." Britain looked at me, and the emotion in his eye was kind and almost grateful. "You're different, and I think maybe…maybe you're not going to hate me like everyone else." I couldn't even blink as I stared at Britain with wide eyes, and he stared back at me in all seriousness.

"I treat you special because you are _special_...and a dear friend." Britain seemed to fold in on himself, as if he had exhausted himself with his little speech, and I just stared for a second.

And then I couldn't help myself.

 _Kawaii!_ I hopped out of my seat and before Britain could blink, I pulled him out of his chair, ignored his startled yelp, and then gave him a bear hug.

"A-Ah!" Britain cried out, his expression one of total shock before I let go so it wouldn't become. Uncomfortable.

"You tsundere, you. You're such a sweetheart." I couldn't help but mention, causing Britain to blink.

Then he turned a violent pink. "N-Now don't let it go to your head!" Britain brushed himself off, once more deflecting. "You can't just come up and hug a Englishman, it's improper-"

"Hey," I hadn't meant to interrupt, but I suddenly saw the clock on the wall. "It's almost time for the meeting to start up again. I've got to go!" I suddenly recalled my promise to Canada.

"Oh, yes, you're quite right- What are you doing?!" Britain shouted once he turned back from the clock to see me stuff a handful of fries and a bite of burger into my mouth, which were the items I packed for lunch.

"My word! I almost thought you were America for an instance." I swallowed the last lump while snatching the rest of my lunch and the notebook. "Sorry, but I was starving and I won't have time to eat later! See ya in like five minutes!" I tossed before hurrying out the door, but didn't wait for a reply before rushing through the hallway.

For that reason, I almost ran straight into an orange blur. However, my instincts kicked in and I barely shifted to the right to make room for the other person in the hallway.

"Whoa, I'm...sorry..." My voice quieted as I froze and the nation stared at me in recognition.

 _China..._

He didn't say a word, but his face said it all as his eyes narrowed.

 _I'm not ashamed._ The thought came automatically, in response to our previous encounters. Then I purposely tipped my head a little higher and stood taller to emphasize my confidence.

I kept walking.

"Traitor."

I didn't flinch at the muttered word, merely kept walking with his glare lingering on my back like an unreachable itch.

 _I'm not ashamed to be Japanese._

In fact, I was proud.

* * *

Despite my attempt to make it back in time to chat with Canada, I got turned around when America reappeared and effectively distracted me to the point we barely arrived on time. Thus, since I and Canada weren't the rude type, we merely say next to each other and didn't speak until the conclusion of it all.

"BYE, DUDE!" I watched the plane take off from the parking lot, my hair flying wildly at the wind it created, before it flew up high.

"Bye, America." I waved up to him, uncertain he could see me from way up high but feeling obligated to do so.

 _At least it wasn't as bad as last time._ I had practically had to use a crowbar to pry him off of me, and that had been for a shorter trip. Briefly, I wondered if it was odd that America was so fine with leaving my side for so long, but my thought process was soon interrupted.

"Mademoiselle, certainly I get a goodbye too." France asked from his seat in Britain's car, who scowled as he watched our interaction.

"Get bent, French fry!" I called out from behind me, and didn't bother to see his reaction before I followed Canada. Though it was fairly easy to guess when I heard the faintest chuckle come from Britain.

"M-My car is o-over here." Canada hesitantly stated while leading me to a blue vehicle near the back of the parking lot.

"Ooh, I like the color." I admired the blue before taking a seat in the passenger side while he got settled on the driver's.

"Um, t-thanks." I frowned as Canada struggled to put the key in ignition, as it appeared that his hand was shaking too much for him to get it in.

 _What's up with him?_ I had noticed that Canada hadn't really been himself today, as he had been a stuttering mess and very fidgeting since the start of the meeting. Even America had noticed it _(ain't that saying something)_ and had given his brother odd looks before he left to get South Italy.

 _And didn't he say he had something to tell me earlier? Coincidence, much?_ I watched Canada eventually start the engine and take off onto the road while I contemplated his actions. However, he apparently noticed my staring and I saw his eyes glance over at me; but when he saw me looking back, his eyes quickly darted back to the road.

 _I hope it's nothing serious._ I couldn't risk pulling out my phone, but I was very certain my WWII timeline had no mention about Canada being attacked or anything close.

 _Won't know unless you ask._

I agreed with the rational voice in my head. "Sooo," I saw Canada flinch as I started talking but continued on despite my curiosity at his reaction. "Didn't you have something to tell me earlier?" I would have asked if he was feeling alright, but I was under the impression he'd brush off my concern.

"I-I did?" Canada squeaked, his grip on the steering wheel getting tighter.

"Yeah, you can tell me now what we're alone." I mentioned, feeling a tension enter the air.

 _Is he sweating?_ I was almost certain I saw nervous beads of sweat rolling off of Canada as he drove.

"Um, well, I wanted to..." Canada sounded like he was struggling to get the words out, and I vaguely wondered if he was choking on them.

"Wanted to?" I gently probed, hoping to help him out of this agony he was putting himself through.

"I wanted to...to…Oh, maple!" Canada abruptly shouted, starling me, and then slowly looked away from the road to look into my brown eye. Then his cheeks became a flaming pink before he shouted. "Would you like to go out to dinner tonight?!" The words were spoken so fast, they would have sounded like a jumbled whisper if I didn't have my full attention on him.

However, as his question registered in my brain, I felt my heart stop.

 _Hold up! Does this boy mean dinner like...date dinner?!_

Canada was still looking at me and I stared back with a probably wide eyed expression. Then I prepared to speak right when I realized something. "Canada, watch where you're going!" I pointed to the road, and Canada's eyes shot back to in front of him so he could correct the car, which had slowly been heading into the other lane.

 _Well that's one pitfall avoided... Wait, did Canada just ask me out?!_ The realization came back and I couldn't control myself.

"You want to go on a date with me?!" I screeched.

Unfortunately, Canada was an easily startled guy, and as I was soon to realize.

Startling a person while they're driving, is not a good idea.

* * *

"Nothing in life is to be **feared** , it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less." ~Marie Curie

* * *

 **So that happened.**

 **Sorry, but I'm not answering any questions about that last scene. Just remain aware I do love misleading you guys (all in good fun) so you can't exactly trust everything to be as it seems in this chapter (hint-hint). Anyway, all will be revealed next time, which as you can guess will be about their date and of course it's going to get crazy (it is Hetalia after all).**

 **Now feel free to skip this next part because it has nothing to do with this fanfic.**

 **I'm not political at all, but** **I'm very aware that due to recent events** **it's been a tough week for my fellow Americans. And I want to tell everyone one thing.**

 **I don't care whether your American or not, a minority or majority, whatever your political standing is, or if your an alien from Mars.** **I care about all of you.** **So stay safe, physically and mentally, and know that I am merely a PM away if anyone needs to just let something out.**

 **Now I wish you all a lovely day.**


	24. Chapter 24: Water Under the Bridge

**So. Many. Fangirl. Screams.**

 **Jeez, I'm worried I might of gave some readers a heart attack with the last chapter's ending.** **Funny enough, that was me going easy on you guys (with the future cliff-hangers I have planned...brace yourselves).**

 **Anyway, I'm sooo sorry for taking insanely long to update! Blame finals, writers block, and my stupid laptop needing a new screen!** **I hope this long-awaited chapter makes up for it, though it might not go as some of you expected.**

 **Disclaimer: I'm so geographically illiterate I don't know where all the US states are, let alone other countries. Clearly I'm not map savvy enough to own Hetalia.**

* * *

 **Discrepancy** (also known as Disunity): The **State** of being at variance

* * *

 _Beeeeep!_

 _Beeeeep!_

 _Beeeeep!_

"..." Canada and I watched as the tow-truck dragged the vehicle away, the front tires completely deflated and its front axle lightly scraping against the road. We remained silent and immobile on the sidewalk while the tow-truck drove off into the distance.

 _A moment of silence please._ If I had worn a hat today, I might of taken it off in respect for the poor vehicle. However, I didn't, so I decided to verbalize my feelings instead.

"I'm really sorry, Canada, I-"

"I-I should have payed more-"

We shut our mouths instantly and stared at each other, both of us surprised by the other's apology.

"Seriously? You're apologizing?" I gave way to laughter, recognizing how the atmosphere could use some lighting up.

"M-May?" Canada asked in concern when my laughing continued, probably jumping to the conclusion it was hysterical laughter. I quickly got a hold of myself in order to reassure him.

"Sorry," I finally managed to gasp out. "It's just kind of funny that you're trying to apologize."

Canada gave me an uncerain expression and further concern entered his eyes.

"You know, 'cause your Canadian and the stereotype about Canadians-"

Blank look.

"Never mind." I sighed, realizing my attempt to relieve his stress was futile.

Canada, for his part, was quick to move on from my awkward attempt. Though I preferred the confusion on his face to the guilt that had replaced it. "B-But I was driving-"

"And I distracted you." I interjected seriously, though a soft smile lingered on my lips. "Sure, I would of preferred you not to nearly drive off the road-"

"And hit that mailbox." Canada muttered dejectedly, pulling off a kicked puppy look that might of surpassed America's _(is that possible?!)_.

Yet I once more tried to make light of what happened, if only to cheer him up. "True. And maybe the tire blowing out wasn't nice-"

"Neither was hitting that stop sign." Canada interjected glumly, his guilt clouding the fact he was interrupting me.

Though I soldiered on. "But it's all good-"

"Or landing in that ditch,"

"Yes, but-"

"Or nearly hitting the garbage man-"

"For the love of-!" I cut myself off sharply, and Canada was finally snapped out his gloom. I then sighed harshly and pinched the bridge of my nose.

 _He's not trying to annoy you, May. Chill out._ I told myself before anger could overcome me.

"We're both fine," I huffed out before Canada took advantage of the silence to apologize for the fiftieth time. "There's not a single scratch on us," I refused to mention the gradually forming lump on the side of my head or the bruise I could feel blossoming on my shin. "And that's what counts." I tried to reason with him.

"I-I guess, but..." Canada cast his eyes towards the ground. "What if...finds out..." Canada mumbled something under his breathe, but I couldn't catch it all before he looked up at me.

"Besides, at least it will make this date memorable." Canada made an embarrassed chocking sound, which I ignored for his sake as I started looking around the area. "Now where are we off too?" I stuck my hands in my pockets and casually gazed around the area.

Fortunately, the auto repair guy had been kind enough to drop us off at George Town before towing Canada's car, which he claimed would be fixed by tomorrow morning. Though we had declined his offer to give us a ride all the way to my place, both I and Canada sharing the desire not to impede on another person's day, since America's house was thirty minutes away from where we'd crashed. Thus we had compromised by having him dropped off in town where we could catch a cab.

"Um, I don't know." Canada gazed around the area uncertainly, most likely unfamiliar with this American town.

I chuckled. "Don't tell me you asked me out and you don't even have a plan."

Canada blanched at my words, but I quickly added. "Don't worry, I'm sure you had an idea before your car was wrecked...but I love it when a man can improvise." I winked, and Canada quickly looked away, though I noted a pink tint on his cheeks before he did.

"Why did America... I can't..." I frowned as I heard Canada mumble to himself and wondered what he was going on about. However, he quieted as he turned back to me. Then while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, he suggested. "Maybe we could go to one of those places." Canada pointed to the multiple cafes, bars, and other food joints lining the street we were on.

"Sounds like a plan." I nodded happily, then I squinted at the sign at the end of the street before smiling. "Looks like a Chinese place over there. I'm down for that. How 'bout you?" I asked, and Canada blinked at me in confusion.

"Down?"

"You want some Americanized 'Chinese' food or not?" I clarified.

"Um, sure." Canada nodded, sounding absentminded.

"Lets go then." Now with a destination in mind, we strolled down the sidewalk without trouble since it wasn't too crowded. Then as we arrived, I was surprised when Canada hurried to get in front of me until I saw him hold the door open for me and allow me to step in first. I smiled in appreciation and he followed behind before I could make out his embarrassed expression.

 _This hardly looks different from modern day Chinese restaurants._ I saw everything one expected to find in a Chinese restaurant. From the Buddhist ornaments and pictures of places in China to the Chinese workers behind the counter. However, there was already one customer ahead of us so I decided now was the perfect time to excuse myself to the restroom.

 _Okay, this is happening._ I looked myself in the mirror, expecting perhaps a shy smile on my lips or a twinkle in my eye. Yet only a fairly neutral face stared evenly back at me.

 _Aren't you excited? Happy? Pleased?_ A reasonable question, but I wasn't sure I couldn't answer as I placed my bag on the sink and started searching though it.

 _Well I'm not unhappy._ Yet I wasn't exactly feeling the bliss I expected from the thought that I was going on my first date with a guy I found attractive.

 _I must still be in shock._ I reasoned that my lack of ecstasy was because this had occurred so unexpectedly and suddenly, meaning I hadn't had time to process it.

 _I'll feel happier later on._ I attempted to reassure myself as my hand latched onto my makeup kit. I easily applied a light red, almost faded, lipgloss and then some pink eyeshadow.

 _I'm sure he'll appreciate it._ I couldn't change my clothes, but I guessed if I stayed indoors it wouldn't be too bad.

"Aiyaaa!"

I jumped and dropped my makeup kit on instinct when the cry rang out. No longer lost in thought, I suddenly realized I could hear two voices shouting, though I couldn't understand what they were saying.

"What is going on?" I rushed to pick up the kit, stuffed it back in my bag, and she threw the backpack over my shoulder before hurrying out.

"Canada?" I called, finding him easily in the small restaurant. He was sitting at a small table, though he didn't seem to hear me as he stared wide eyed at the register. My gaze trailed his, and I felt my eyes widen once I realized where the yelling was coming from.

"For the last time, we do not bargain! The price is five!" The employee's voice was heavily accented as he stared down the customer.

"That is not what you say last week, aru!" China shouted right back, waving a fist in the air. Soon the shouts between them switched from English to Chinese, but I hardly noticed as I stared at the nation.

"It's a small world after all." I muttered.

"Oh, May!" Canada glanced up at me, just now noticing my presence, and then back to China. "...I guess we should go somewhere else." Perhaps it was my imagination, but there was the slightest hint of aggravation in his tone as he stared at his fellow nation.

Instead of replying though I continued to play spector to the argument. "I wonder what they're so upset about."

"China claims the crab cakes were cheaper last month, and demands the chef lower the price before he pays for his order." Canada shrugged until he noticed the stunned look I gave him. Then he grew a tad red before mumbling bashfully. "I know some Mandarin Chinese."

"Oh." I was mildy impressed by this information. "Guess your not as culturally illiterate as America." I noted as resumed watching the heated argument.

"Don't make me pull out my wok!"

"Go ahead, mine already out!"

A bit of English broke through, but I hardly noticed as I pulled off my backpack and started searching through it.

"I think we should go."

"Here." I placed a five dollar bill in Canada's hand.

"Eh?" Canada gaze flew rapidly from the money to myself.

"Go pay for China's meal." Canada stared, not comprehending. "I'd do it myself but I doubt he'd be very receptive, so do it for me." Canada gaped at me like I'd grown a second head. Thus I physically pulled him out of the chair and gave him a light shove in the direction of the counter. Canada stumbled, and glanced back at me, but I made a "go on" gesture.

He turned back to the front, and very catiously walked up to the arguing people. "Um, e-excuse me?" I could hardly hear Canada's meek shout for attention, which is why so was surprised to see both Asians rounded on him immediately.

Canada shook a bit, clearly unnervered by the hostile atmosphere, and rushed his speech. "I w-wanted to say-" I didn't hear the rest as I stepped outside to avoid being spotted by China.

 _He'll be fine._ _Everybody loves Canada after all._ My theory was prove correct as I only had to wait a few minutes before Canada joined me.

"Did it work out?" I asked, already walking down the street and knowing he'd follow.

"Um, you could say that." Canada mumbled, appearing frazzled from the encounter. "Oh, and the owner gave me this to say thanks." He sounded dazed while he handed me the doggie bag.

Intrigued, I peered inside. "Crab cakes? Sweet." I nodded happily, still walking, but I paused when I saw Canada wasn't by my side. I stepped backwards until I was next to him. "Is there a problem?" I asked despite having a good idea what was going through his head.

"Why did you do that?" Canada stared at me with a jaded look, and I was certain the glare wasn't intended for me.

"Because those two would argue for the next century if we didn't. Apparently all Chinese men are cheapskates." I said jokingly, yet Canada appeared uncertain. I sighed, and with a more neutral tone, stated. "I know me and China don't get along right now, but I don't really hold it against him." I resumed walking, knowing Canada would follow this time.

"Why not?" Canada's voice somehow dipped even lower, nearly conspiratorially. "I wouldn't blame you if you did." I slowed my pace, as did Canada, once I realized this needed to be addressed.

"Because..." I hesitated to reply, trying to discern how best to express the way I felt. "Because Japan did terrible, downright heinous things to China in this war." Canada froze, clearly shocked, and I did so as well. "I'm not completely sure what the Japanese army has done in your world, but if it was anywhere close to what they did in mines, then I understand." I looked down and my shoulders fell.

"I understand the hate." I could hear shame in my tone as I couldn't help but think of the horror stories I had been told.

 _Burning homes, capturing civillians, and lord...what he did to those poor Chinese women- No, that's my world. Not Hetalia._ More than likely, it had been nowhere near as bad in this world, but I still doubted it was a pretty sight.

"But-"

"No, that does not make his actions right." I quickly interrupted, hearing the protest in his voice. "Nothing _justifies_ discrimination, however, you can _understand_ someone's actions without agreeing with it... And I have faith that one day China wont be like this." I thought briefly of the future of my world.

"How can you be so sure?" Canada looked curious.

"I'm from the future, remember? I know in my time there is still some animosity among both groups, but a lot of people have moved on." I sighed, facing Canada with determination. "So China can see me as the 'enemy' as much as he likes, but I for one, am moving on...to the future." I resumed walking, not caring if he would follow.

"I...May..." He may have wanted to say more, but I had no desire to continue the conversation as it left me feeling exposed. Thankfully, he picked up on that and she choose another topic. "W-Where else should we eat?"

"Let's try that place." I pointed to a random joint that advertised itself as a grill and bar.

"A-Are you sure?"

I shrugged, not caring as long at it was a good distraction from our recent conversation. "It seems decent to me." Canada missed the hint of strain in my voice as I grabbed his hand and basically barreled through the front door. I briefly scanned the dimly lit bar, which held but a few people drinking on bar stools, before I caught sight of a few small tables in the back.

"Let's sit here." I pickef a table with two chairs and released Canada's hand so we could sit on opposite sides.

"T-This isn't what I had in mind for our...date." Canada whispered the last word nervously, as if it were forbidden.

I laughed a bit. "So it's had a few bumps, I'm not expecting perfection, you know?" He smiled, probably aware I was trying to cheer him up. Yet as I stared back, I suddenly had a crawling sensation run down my back like a chill.

 _Who?_ I glanced behind and around, but saw no one even looking in our direction.

"I could get us some drinks if you want." Canada suggested, not noticing my sudden tension.

 _You're imagining it._ I ignored the sensation, not wanting to ignore Canada

Therefore I angled my lips into a smirk and raised an eyebrow. "Trying to get me drunk already, Canada? I mean it's only the first date." Immediately I had to cover my mouth in order to cover up my laughter when Canada's face heated up like a volcano near implosion.

"W-What? No! I'd never-"

"My goodness, I swear you're too fun to mess with!" Canada stopped stammering and some of his blush left him once he realized I was joking.

"Sorry, I just really want this to go well!" Canada spoke so earnestly that I was left mildly stunned.

"What's there to worry about?" I shrugged before lowering my voice so only he'd hear. "You're nearly 200, you've got plenty of experience with this."

"..."

"...Right?" I couldn't help but ask in face of his unexpected silence.

Canada, clearly flustered, shouted. "Of course! I-I just don't it often!" His voice grew softer. "I haven't done it in a...while."

"Oh," I could tell this topic was one he wasn't comfortable with, so I tried to ease the awkward tension. "That isn't what you told France at the last meeting." I said jokingly.

Canada sighed in a manner which oddly enough reminded me of someone rolling their eyes. "It's better he thinks so. The last time I told him I hadn't dated anyone in a month, h-he tried to set me up with this French model!" Clearly the date hadn't gone well based on Canada's horrified expression.

"Well that's..." My words fell away as a large shadow came over us and my gaze shot up in surprise.

"Small girl!"

"R-Russia?!" Both I and Canada's voice merged as we stared at the tallest nation in the world, who stared down at me with a wide grin and glass bottle in his hand.

"Da, it is you." Russia's smile expanded, and before I could say another word, he took a seat.

On Canada.

"Oof!" The muffled shout came from my poor companion and I gaped as Russia's bulky figure eclipsed my view of Canada.

"Uh, Russia," I regained composure rapidly though, and attempted to vouch for Canada who was possibly suffocating. "What are you doing? Cana-"

"Is it not obvious?" Russia cut in after taking a swig of his drink, which I assumed was vodka based on its potent chemical stench. "I said we would meet soon, and it is soon." Russia shrugged and then resumed chugging away at his vodka.

"W-What?" I was confused, but then I recalled my last interaction with him.

 _For reals? He decides now is the time?!_ I face palmed in despair until I heard a muffled cry, and looked up to see a shaky hand reach out from behind Russia.

Remembering my trapped date _(whoops)_ , I decided to get Russia's attention. "That's true, but I don't think right now is the best time. Canada was already here with me."

Russia stopped drinking, lowered the bottle, and appraised me quizzically. "I do not see him." Russia glanced around, oblivious to the muffled shouts being emitted from behind him.

 _This isn't working._ I needed to take a new approach.

"Hey, Russia." I regained his attention. "Could you get me a soda from the bar?" I asked as sweetly as I could manage, briefly ignoring the hand still weakly grasping at the air.

"Da! I will get you a vodka." Russia's smile widened, and didn't seem to note my startled expression.

"Actually, I'd prefer a-"

Russia had already risen and was heading over to the bar.

 _Okay then._

"Gah!" The sharp intake of air snapped my attention back to across the table, where a paler than normal Canada was practically gasping for air.

"Hey, are you alright?" I got up and took a stand beside him, noting his breathing was still verging on desperate. Canada weakly gazed up at me and prepared to speak.

"So this is the Canada you spoke of?" Russia's sudden question caught us off guard and we both jumped.

"Uh, yeah." My words were less than eloquent. "This is him." I couldn't think of what else to say as Russia stared at both of us, especially when we both sensed a strange aurora.

 _W-What brought this on?_ I was a mixture of confused and wary while the purple haze drifted from Russia, who glanced slowly from me to Canada.

Then his eyes rested on Canada, who I could swear gulped in fear as Russia addressed him. "You are keeping small girl company tonight?"

"Y-Yes, America asked me to take her home."

"You will make sure she arrive home safely." Russia's tone indicated it was a certainty, and the "or else" was heavily implied.

 _Russia...cares if I make it home alright?_ _Aw, that's-_

"It is no fun upsetting America without her." Russia smiled wider, almost manically as he stared at Canada and I anime fell.

 _And I'm back to pet status._ When I recovered, I saw the Canadian nod rapidly, likely incapable of speech when Russia looked so threatening.

"Good." Russia nodded in return. He then turned to me with his typical grin. "We will do the hanging out later, small girl?"

"Sure thing!" I agreed as enthusiastically as I could muster in this tense atmosphere. Russia smiled and patted my head just as roughly as the first time, while I suddenly realized he was holding an unopened vodka bottle. It was probably supposed to be mines but as he turned, I saw him drink it without hesitation before heading back to the bar.

"...Now we run?" Canada inquired.

"Yes..." I tiptoed backwards. "Slowly and cautiously."

We edged towards the front door, and once outside, we sprinted.

* * *

"Here." Canada handed me one of the soda bottles and I grabbed it.

Or at least I thought I had until it entered a free fall towards the grass below.

"Oh!" Canada released a sharp cry of dismay.

"Don't worry," I spotted the unbroken botte underneath the bench, and bent down to lift it. "It didn't break." I reassured Canada while standing up and turning the bottle over in my hand.

 _I could of sworn I had it, but it's like it my hand wasn't even there._ I switched my gaze to my palm, half heartedly believing it might do something unexpected, such become transparent.

"May?" Canada called. I looked up to see I had yet to take the hotdog and fries he was holding out to me.

"Oh, sorry." I placed the soda on the bench and then used both my hands to grab the wrapping they were in, making certain nothing would fall.

"It's no problem." Canada took a seat beside me on the bench, which was looking over a large park. The sky above the pine trees was in the last stage of sunset, meaning it would soon be filled with stars. Though I hardly noted the setting as my mouth salivated.

 _God, I'm starving so much._ I didn't question the fact that it was unusual for me to feel any hunger before I bit the coney in half. So immersed in eating was I, that it wasn't until the hot dog was long gone and the fries had been devoured when I sensed the stare. I turned my head and met the wide eyed gaze of Canada, who seemed to have froze before he took a mere bite of his food.

I swallowed and felt heat in my own cheeks. "What?" My question got him to shake off the shock and now he appeared bashful for being caught staring.

"S-Sorry, you just really looked like America for a second." Canada explained hastily.

"Bad habit." I muttered, vaguely wondering when it had developed.

 _My parents are going to kill me if I come home with bad manners._ I winced, and then very consciously tried to stuff less into my mouth.

"Not that it's a bad thing!" Canada asserted, probably noting how I started to nibble on my fries. "I mean, America is much more-"

"Disturbing?" I suggested, swallowing the last of my food. "Kind of reminds me of that old YouTube series _Llamas with Hats_. I remember this one llama said 'his mouth unhinged like a snake' when Carl..." I stopped when I saw Canada looked like he was contemplating whether all American were as insane as me or if I just that crazy. "Forget it, you won't get what I've referenced for like the next sixty years." He made an "oh" expression before self-consciously turning away tentatively on his cola.

 _Jeez, am I that scary? It's like walking on glass around him._ I considered bringing this up, but there was something else bugging me.

 _Someone's watching._ I glanced around, certain whatever it was that observed me earlier was at it again.

 _Can't it just leave me alone?_ I rolled my eyes, more annoyed I was being watched during my personal time than frightened at this point.

"Has today been good?" I snapped my head right in response to the sudden question from Canada, who looked back at me in earnest.

"Um, it hasn't been bad. Certainly been interesting." I felt my eyes narrow just so as I noticed Canada's shaking nervously.

 _Is this boy okay?_

"Really?" Canada questioned and I frowned.

"Yeah," I straighted to make sure he knew I meant it. "Sure I'd prefer not to be in car accidents or forced to drink vodka, but it's certainly makes this a memorable date." I ignored the twinge of annoyance I felt at the fact this had felt hardly different from hanging out with a friend. "And I enjoy your company any given day." I smiled at him, and had to laugh when he expectedly blushed.

Though I gathered myself quickly, seeing my chance. "Now can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Canada spoke easily, but I noticed his grasp on the bottle tightened.

"Why did you ask me on a date when you really don't want to be here?"

 _Crssh!_ I only had time to shut my eyes before a spray of fizzing liquid assaulted my face.

"...!"

"If you didn't want to answer, you could of just said so."

"Oh God, I'm s-sorry!" I ran a sleeve across my face, and soon encountered the horrified expression on Canada's. "So so so sorry!" The glass remains of Canada's glass bottle laid on his lap and the concrete below, and it was easy to imagine he had accidentally squeezed the life out of it due to his surprise.

 _Note to self: Don't interrogate people when they're holding something._ I continued wiping my face with the sleeves of my jacket, only to note that the front of the clothes were soaked too.

"I can't believe I did this! I'm really really sorry-" I slapped a hand on Canada's mouth, not caring how rude it might be, because he sounded on the verge of a breakdown.

"Canada, frigging breathe, dude." I enunciated slowly as I removed my hand from him. Then I watched his breathing reluctantly even out when he regained sense. After a minute or so, he appeared healthy enough to speak. "Don't worry about it," I cut in before he could knock me over with another tidal wave of apologies. "I'll just take a long shower when I get home." I wanted to take off my jacket, but considering how chilly it had gotten as the sky darkened, I figured that was a bad idea.

Canada frowned. "M-Maybe we should just go home, I can call a cab...I'll pay for...you..." I no longer paid mind to what Canada was saying as my attention zeroed in to the purple piece of fabric sticking out of a row of thick bushes in between our bench and the next one in the park.

 _My creeper senses are tingling. This must be why I feel like I'm being watched._ I got up on a whim, unintentionally grabbing Canada's attention.

"Hey, Canada." Said nation stared at me oddly as I glared at the bush I now loomed over. "You ever wonder if you're being-" I gave the bush a rough side kick. "Watched." Two yelps coincided with the bodies rolling out of the bush before us.

"Aha! I knew... Britain?!" I stared at the nation in a familiar green uniform, who sat up while rubbing his head.

"F-France?!" Canada shot to his feet beside me and stared down at the other nation, who was also gathering himself into a wobbly stand.

"What are two doing here?!" I couldn't help but demand, my head in overdrive.

 _How long have they been watching me? They're the reason I've been so disturbed lately? Or is this a coincidence?_ My eyes darted from Britain's near embarrassed demeanor to France's nervousness.

"Why you see-"

"It was his fault!" France cried, pointing towards Britain with exaggerated tears in his eyes. "Moi had no choice but to follow him on a spying mission!" France fell to his knees, as if begging us to believe him.

My eyes leapt back at Britain, only to see him glaring at France. "How blasphemous! I did no such thing!" In a sudden move, he sent France flying back a few feet with a harsh kick. "I only told you I was going to hone my spying skills, and it was your choice to hound me by coming along!" Britain accused while France shot up to confront him, clearly unhurt by Britain's attack.

"Hold the phone," I interrupted with my hands held up, and their faces swiveled to stare at me. "You decided to spy on us? On me?!" My voice held a tinge of outrage as I gave a frosty look towards Britain.

"No, t-that wasn't the plan!" Britain made a placating hand gesture and even took a step away from me.

 _I'm not that scary, right?_ For a second, I thought I saw a purple wisp float pass me, but my anger distracted me from questioning its appearance.

"Just admit it, black sheep." France gained the bravery to speak once he saw my anger wasn't directed towards him. "You are more like big brother than you admit, chasing after a gorgeous woman like May." He smirked even as Britain rounded on him and held him by his cloak collar.

"No, I did not!" The red exploded all over Britain's face, and I could swear I felt heat radiating from him _(s'mores time?)._ "I was merely trailing China, and we merely happened to come across May!" He shoved a finger into France's chest.

France continued to smirk, saying, "But then you saw May and you had to follow!" Britain made a chocked sound, floundering for a response.

"W-Why would you do that, Britain?" Canada questioned, his face a flamingo pink. Though it took me a second to realize Canada was clearly embarrassed by the idea that someone had witnessed his date.

France's noticed this detail and immediately took advantage. "Mon efient, you have done me proud again!" He slung an arm around Canada, who only grew redder in response. "I see you nearly got her out of her clothes with that 'accidental' spill of the soda! I had no idea you were so devious!" France gushed and Canada paled.

However, I turned my focus to Britain. "Is what he said is true?! You followed me?" I demanded and Britain had the sense to look sheepish.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay?" Britain weakly, eyes darting away from mines.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I retorted, pride offended. "I can take care of myself, and even if something happened, Canada was with me."

In the background, I could hear France go on. "-waiting for America to be gone was a magnificent idea! Now you and her won't be disturbed tonight when you-"

"Please don't finish that sentence, eh!"

"Canada?" Britain looked confused. "Who are you talking about?" I tuned back in to our conversation sighing harshly and resisting the urge to face palm.

"Once _again_ , he's that one nation that looks like America and speaks English because you raised him!" The words rolled out fast while I impatiently watched Britain, who blinked before that light bulb came over his head _(literally)_.

"-to clean up the signs, I suggest you wash the bed sheets and get-"

I immediately tuned out whatever France was saying and focused on Britain. "Yes, remember him now?" I said a little meanly.

"Of course! I'd never forgotten!" Britain asserted, though I gave him an unconvinced look. "But why are you bringing him up?" Genuine confusion came through his tone.

"I don't know, maybe 'cause you followed us both." I said "duh" look.

"What?" His confusion persisted and I thought a few question marks briefly rose over his head.

Now uncertain, I asked more gently. "You did notice I wasn't alone at the Chinese place and the bar, right?"

"..."

"You didn't see Canada, did you?" I sighed, sensing my frustration building. "You know what, I think it is time I go home." I turned away from Britain and stretched my arm to lay a firm hand on to France's shoulder. Then I spun him around so we were face-to-face.

"Stop trying to make Canada into a mini version of yourself." I bit out tersely. "He doesn't go well as a side dish to American food, and can't you see you're giving him a headache?" I threw my hand to the side and waved it at Canada.

"My word, what is America doing here?!"

We had all turned to see the poor Canadian was red as the sunset and wobbling where he stood, probably on the verge of passing out.

"But I was only-"

"I don't care." I told France coldly before shifting the target of my irritation. "And you!" Britain took a step back, but I took one forward. "I don't care what you thought you were doing, but what you actually did was interrupt my very nice and very personal evening." I growled, and just maybe I saw my aurora turn into an inky purple, but I just didn't care.

"But-"

A very mean thought suddenly came to me. "How did you get here?" I questioned, halting any of Britain's pleas.

"Well, I drove of course." Britain asserted, eyeing me warily, as was everyone else.

"Good." I smirked.

* * *

I steered the car out of the parking lot, ignoring Britain and France's despondent gaze from the sidewalk before their figures faded in the background as I entered the main road.

"Are you sure we should leave them like that?" Canada inquired softly.

"They have legs don't they? They can walk." I huffed, but when I saw Canada flinch from my peripheral vision, I added. "Besides, you can give them back their car tomorrow when they come with you to pick up your car from the repair shop."

Canada nodded, but kept silent, clearly aware my bad mood was lingering near the surface. I sighed, attempting to cool down as I knew my anger could apparently make me as frightening as Russia. And I doubted Canada would be up to speaking if he was scared I was going to attack him.

 _Just breathe._ I did, and I felt my calm returning.

"You still haven't answered my question." I asked, now a lot less livid.

"What d-do you mean?" His shaking voice giving away how he knew what I meant.

"Don't play dumb. I live on a street called Sherlock for goodness' sake, and I'm getting an answer out of you to do any detective proud." I waved a pointed finger in Canada's face before placing my eyes on the road. "Now tell me why you asked me on a date. The _real_ reason." I made myself clear when I saw Canada preparing to lie, his tell being his aversion to looking me in the eye.

"Um, well the truth-" Canada paused. "You really live on a place named Sherlock?" He suddenly recalled my words.

"Yup, 2539 Sherlock Avenue. Now answer the question." I said it all without a real pause, getting across a no nonsense tone.

Canada wilted against my relentless questioning and finally admitted. "Well... It wasn't really that I didn't want to. I mean your v-very nice and I like you, but- But I, um..."

"Your just not into me like that?" I suggested, hoping to alleviate some of his nervousness, if only so I wouldn't have to struggle to understand him.

"What?" Canada asked, and I couldn't tell if he was startled or really uncertain of what I meant.

"I'm not expert on romance, but even I know that a man who was interested would of noticed I added make-up to my face," Canada suddenly searched my face and then gasped slightly. "And would of said something. Plus, he wouldn't stare at me like I'm grading him for his college entrance exams. You have been beyond nervous this entire time. So what's up?" I asked, keeping my eyes locked on the road in order to ensure no matter what Canada's reply was that I wouldn't lose control of the vehicle.

"I..." Canada stopped, knowing he was caught. "America asked me to do it."

My forehead scrunched in confusion. "And why would he ask you to do that?"

"Honestly, I'm not really sure, but he said that this wasn't a good day for you and it might make you happy if you were on a date instead of alone." Canada went on.

"Wait, what day is it?" I questioned, still not understanding.

"September 11th." He said casually, unaware how it resounded in my head." I mean you've been so nice me, the most I could do was help you with whatever this is." His sincerity was evident, and suddenly it everything made sense.

 _That's why he was so okay with leaving me, he knew Canada would be with me!_ Those weird looks America kept giving Canada hadn't been concern, but impatient as he urged him to ask me out.

 _No wonder he gave me that nice breakfast._ I thought back to this very morning, and saw the signs of his plan all along.

"-really sorry, May." I zeroed in to the conversation that was still ongoing. "I didn't mean to lead you on, but I do like you." His head was down." You've been so friendly to me, and kind, but I'm not really the, um, dating type." Canada admitted, unwilling to peek at me.

Thus I placed one of my hands on his shoulder, ignoring the brief voice in my head saying to keep both hands on the wheel. "I know." I felt him twitch and probably look over to me.

I returned the hand to the wheel. "And I'm kind of not going to be here for much longer I think, so any relationship would be brief." I refused to think deeper on the implications of the statement. "Plus, from what I heard, a human/nation romance doesn't really work out well in this world." I stated, and Canada said nothing, but the agreement was palpable in the air.

"It's okay, I like you as a friend anyway." I hummed softly to myself before a small smile graced my lips. "Even if you are hot like smoked hickory!" I winked briefly at him and Canada immediately performed an anime fall.

"Eh?!" I couldn't control the laughter that escaped me before I focused on the road, only to see the familiar house coming up.

 _Home sweet home._ I smiled while I pulled into the drive away and quickly shut off the engine.

"Well I guess this is-

"You know, were in love somewhere out there." I stated my thoughts aloud, without restraint for once.

"W-What?!" Canada's eyes widened, but I smiled as I leaned back in the seat, briefly catching a glimpse of the starry sky.

"I mean, you know I'm from another world/dimension, right?" I began, closing my eyes in thought.

"Yes." Canada replied slowly.

"Well, that means I'm living proof that there are more than one world out there." I threw a hand up to the sky. "And that means there could be more than one version of you..." I decided now was not the time to explain Nyotalia, but hinting was fine. "In my world, one theory about dimensions is that every time a person makes a choice, in another world, we made a different one." I opened my eyes to see Canada nodded, following somewhat.

"So I guess that means somewhere out there," I waved at the stars and moon. "We decided to be more than friends." I didn't make eye contact, allowing the sky to eclipse my vision. "It's probably different circumstances there. Maybe you're not even Canada there, maybe you're just Matthew. Or perhaps I'm the nation, and you're the average human. Anything is possible." I sounded wistful, my voice soft.

"And I don't know about you, but I don't mind that one bit. Because I know if there is somewhere out there where we make each other happy, I couldn't imagine a better companion to spend that life with." I slid my eyes to the side and saw Canada from my peripheral vision. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't know where to start.

"Regardless, we ended up in this world, and that's fine with me too." I straightened and pulled out the car keys.

"Here." I placed them in his hands, and then opened the door to get out.

"Oh," I stopped after swinging my legs out the door. "I almost forgot!" I twirled around, and since Canada was still sitting there, it was easy to land a fast kiss on his cheek.

"Eh?" Canada shouted, his hand jumping to the location on his cheek. He pulled back and he look nearly overwhelmed when he saw my lipstick staining his hand.

"What? I couldn't leave you without a goodbye kiss." I shrugged before rolling to my feet. "Night now!" I walked up to the porch with the most dopey smile of my face. As I entered, the house, I noticed Canada still hadn't drove off.

But I knew he'd get over it and drive off eventually.

Assuming he hadn't fainted.

* * *

"Don't give me that look, I'm immune to it." I kept my gaze upwards and tried to ignore the pleading expression being sent my way. My attempt was thwarted however, when America-cat leapt onto the kitchen counter and shoved the look straight into my face.

I sighed despairingly. "Come on, you already ate two cans! I can't give you another without America getting suspicious." I crossed my arms and my lips were in a stern line.

"Meeooowww." He gave the most pitiful call, and combined with the frown, couldn't take it.

 _Curse my weakness!_

I turned around and opened the refrigerator in resignation. "Only one more," I heard the cat leap back onto the ground and didn't have to look to know he was performing a miniature happy dance as I closed the fridge.

 _BAM!_

I jumped and accidentally dropped two of the tuna cans on the ground, one intended to be on my sandwich, in response to the resounding noise.

"THAT WAS TOTALLY AWESOME!"

The next voice solidified who had just waltzed back into the room.

"Looks like America's home, you should...probably..." I could no longer spot the tan feline by my feet.

Nor the tuna cans.

 _Oh, that little brat!_

I briefly felt irritation at that, but then surmised I was too tired to deal with it now. Instead, I decided to exit the kitchen and check on America.

 _Huh?_ I was confused to see America wasn't on his way upstairs, considering it was past midnight and even I was normally in bed by this time, but he was actually in the living room.

 _He looks exhausted._ I walked over to America, his glasses on the short table beside the couch he seemed to have thrown himself on. He looked halfway to REM sleep already, but I knew I couldn't allow him to reach that just yet.

Pat-Pat! I gave a quick poke on the cheek, feeling slightly guilty for waking him up since America only ever looked exhausted when he honestly ran out of energy (or caffeine).

"Mhm?" America made a soft noise before one of his eyes reluctantly peeked open, as if he hoped he'd imagined the sensation and could soon go to back to sleep. However, his hopes were dashed when he saw me, though when he opened his other eyes and finally recognized me, a grin slowly formed on his face.

"Hey, dude!" America sat up, looking up at me. "What are you still doing up?"

"Felt like it." I shrugged. "Long day?" I questioned.

America immediately deflated with exaggerated puff of irritation. "You could say that again!"

"What? Was it hard getting South Italy?" I suddenly wondered if maybe he was more than exhausted, but had taken some damage.

Though my fears proved unfounded when America quickly continued. "Nah, that was like super easy! The real problem was getting that Italian to shut up!" America crossed his arms and pouted. "First he kept screaming like a sissy when that one German soldier spotted us-" America suddenly cleared his threat.

"I mean one hundred Germans came after us, and I totally defeated them!" I rolled my eyes at the obvious exaggeration while America puffed his chest out. Though his expression soured again as he continued. "But then he nearly made me crash the plane cuz he kept throwing a white flag in my face and shouting something in Spanish."

"You mean Italian?"

"Yeah, that," America hardly seemed to hear me. "But eventually we got out and I dropped him off at Britain's like we planned." America huffed, sitting down again.

"And...did he mention his brother?" I asked carefully.

America didn't seem to notice my reservation as he brashly stated, "Not really, just that he was with some potato." I blinked at that phrasing. "Or maybe he was speaking in Spanish-"

 _"Potatoe bastard!"_ I suddenly recalled the vulgar title South Italy had given to Germany.

 _So Italy is with Germany!_ I smiled at the fact that meant Italy was fine, but then another thought occurred to me.

 _...But is it by choice or..._ I wasn't sure it was the appropriate time to contemplate that, so I decided not to question America further on the matter.

 _He's okay in the end anyway... Unless me being here changes the end of WWII._ That thought I shoved aside as it made me uneasy.

"-and that's why Italian pizza isn't nearly as awesome as a good-old American one!" America concluded, flopping back into the couch. I stared, trying to understand what I had missed him saying before deciding it was unimportant.

"Sooo, you didn't get hit or anything, right?" I asked to be certain.

"Of course not, dude! I'm totally amazin- HEY!" I punched America's shoulder with my full strength because I knew it wouldn't hurt him _(by much anyway)_.

"That's for being sneaky." I stated with my hands on my hips as I stared him down. America stared at me like I was insane.

"What?! What are ya talking about-"

I gave him a hug with all my strength, which would probably leave bruises on a normal human.

"And that's for caring about today... Thank you." I couldn't tell if America heard the deep sincerity in my voice, since he was still staring open-mouth at me, but I figured he got the picture. Thus I turned around and fled upstairs.

After all, I didn't care to hear America's denial. Or even worse, his questions about today.

Thus I rushed upstairs until I slowed before entering my room and didn't even have to glance around before I spotted the fur ball on my bed and the tuna cans at the bottom. "You." My voice was quiet, but the annoyance behind it was clear enough to make the cat jump to the feet. "Now what am I going to do with you?" I said as menacingly as possible.

"Meow?" America-cat looked rightly nervous _(is that a sweat drop on him?)_ , and immediately backed away.

"Oh, no you don't." I caught him by the tail, as he tried to run to my open window. Despite the fact we were on the second floor of a rather tall house.

"Meooow." He whined, looking at me liked I had thrown away a fresh burger for no reason.

"Nope, you're not leaving until you get a bath." Then I leaned down near his face with a smirk. "A long one."

"Meow!" With sudden strength, he sprung forward.

"Woah!" The force caught me off guard, and I released his tail in favor of catching myself, yet I still fell face-forward onto the bed.

 _Curse nation cats and their super strength!_

"Nooooo!"

My head shot up at the sound of a human wail, yet all I only caught sight of the cat fleeing into the hallway. I gave no chase, instead I remained laying on my bed with wide eyes.

 _Where did that come from?!_ I quickly pushed myself up and examined my room, but I saw no hint of another person.

 _How...strange._ Oddly enough, I almost thought it was America who had been whining, but he should be downstairs.

 _Could it have been... Nah, maybe his meowing just sounded off today._ I reasoned, disturbed by the notion that America-cat might be more personified _(emphasis on person)_ than he looked.

Fortunately, at this moment, I remembered I still had the sticky sensation on my chest from the soda earlier.

 _I need a bath._ Honestly, a nice soak in a warm tub sounded nice for once. Without much thought, I grabbed my night clothes and went through the bathroom door.

 _"ZzzMay?"_

I swung back around, heart frozen in my chest.

The room was empty.

 _It was..._ I was out of words to describe what it could be, but suddenly the idea of being submerged in water wasn't so pleasant.

 _Hot shower will do._

With that decision, I went in and shut the bathroom door behind me.

Locked it just to be safe.

* * *

"Things of this world are in so constant a flux, that nothing remains long in the same **state**." ~John Locke

* * *

 **For the few of you that were hoping for romance, I must admit it's not happening in this story. I personally think there's an overwhelming amount of OCxCharacter on the fanfiction site and I prefer to give readers something more unique. Plus, with what I have planned for this fanfic, it would never fit in the story line.** **However, one reviewer did inquire whether I could make another fanfic where I pair May up with different nations. If a lot of people are interested in that, let me know, and I'll consider writing it.**

 **Next time, expect to see May getting ever closer to the truth of how she got stuck in Hetalia. We are getting very close to the big climax, and I'm eager to reach it, so expect a quick update this time.**

 **Bye now!**


	25. Chapter 25: As the Wall Falls

**Sorry for taking over a month to update, but I've been busy prepping a short story for a writing competition. Though I couldn't leaving you guys hanging when this fanfic has over 130 followers, which is awesome!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetaila, or I wouldn't be looking at college loans and then hiding under my bed.**

* * *

"They took away time, and they gave us the **clock**." -Abdullah Ibrahim

* * *

 _December 1943_

"Dude?"

I felt the haze of sleep slipping away.

"Duuuude?" A finger lightly tapped against my forehead and my brown eyes gradually opened.

"Huh?" I blinked a couple of times until the blur of colors solidified to reveal America standing over me. "What is it?" I sounded garbled as I returned his confused gaze.

America shrugged casually though his eyes held a tinge of concern. "I tried calling you for dinner, but you didn't come, so I went looking for ya." America appeared bewildered, and the reason for his confusion became evident when I noticed I was sitting on the couch in the living room. The kitchen was merely a few feet away, meaning I should of easily heard him.

"I must of fell asleep." I muttered, pondering how I could of been in so deep of a slumber that I didn't hear America's voice _(the equivalent of a man using a megaphone)_ just a room away.

America didn't notice my dilemma, probably attributing my puzzled frown to the expected disorientation when one has just woken up, and he continued cheerfully. "Well rise and shine, May! Or you're going to miss the awesomest dinner ever! And I bet you can't guess what it's going to be!" America held a song song tone as he teased me.

His taunt successfully distracted me, so I was quick to cross my arms and raise an eyebrow. "It's pizza with french fries on the side, isn't it?" I smirked while America's smile dropped away.

"B-But how did you know?!" America sputtered, clearly disappointed I had ruined the surprise.

"Because I have a sense of smell?" I answered with a "duh" connotation, but America knew I was joking when he gave me a light shove to the side.

"Alright wise-guy, I bet you can't guess what the desert is!" America huffed before spinning around and returning to the kitchen.

I paused to think for a few moments before I recalled what he always made on Friday night. "It's a sundae!" The disgruntled cry from the dinning room made me smile cockily to myself.

 _Gloating time!_ I pushed myself up and out of the couch.

"Owww." I hissed softly as my entire body protested the movement.

 _Man, I'm sore! When did this happen?_ It wasn't painful to walk over to the kitchen, but I couldn't help but wonder why my body ached like I was back in navy boot camp.

 _I didn't even do aikido today._ I protested while rolling my shoulders. However, it didn't seem too worrying, and I assumed maybe I had just moved around in my sleep and bumped some of my bruises against the couch.

 _Yeah, it's probably that._ The reason I hadn't been practicing aikido recently was because I had been a major clutz as of late. I kept missing the punching bag when I was so certain I was on route to hit it, causing me to overshoot and end up on the floor.

 _And not mention I've been so tired-_

"Ha! You're wrong, dude!" I blinked as I walked into the dinning room, only to find a triumphant America sitting at the head of the table.

"Wrong?" I observed the pizzas and plates loaded with fries. "I see pizza and fries." I asserted, looking at the food that oddly enough made me salivate in anticipation _(am I actually hungry?)_.

"Yeah, but there's no sundaes!" America crossed his arms in smug satisfaction, and I momentarily felt stunned to over being wrong until I noticed the chocolate crumbs smearing my nation's face.

"You almost got me." I took my seat with a cat's grace, so I was adjacent to a surprised America. "If only you didn't eat like a three year old."

"What?!" He whined, pouting at how I wasn't admiring defeat.

"You have crumbs from the sundaes all over your face." America immediately wiped his mouth with a napkin and noted the chocolate smear left on them.

"That's not from a sundae. I-I just ate some cookies!" He tried to sound convincing.

"First of all, that still means you eat like a three year old." America reached over to shove me again but I scooted my chair back in record time. "Second of all, I saw ice cream smudges on the cups in the sink."

"But I thought I hid them in the cupboard!" America looked truly stumped and I laughed, almost cackled.

"Omg, I didn't even see anything! But thanks for incriminating yourself." I chuckled and America blinked in confusion, probably not understanding my use of a "big" word. However, a second later he seemed to get the gist of what I said and pouted.

"You're no fun!" America cried out accusingly. Then to cope with his loser status, he grabbed an entire pepperoni pizza _(comfort food)_ and munched on it like the eating machine he was.

"Save some for me, jeez." I managed to rip off a slice before he could claim it all. "Ya carnivore." I muttered, pulling the plate of fries closer to me before he could devour them too. I joined him in stuffing my face with high calorie food, but slowed when I noticed I had nothing to drink.

"Is the coffee made?" I asked America while he was on a rare reprieve from shoveling pizzas into his bottomless pit of a stomach.

"Ifff min the kifen."

"I think that might of been English."

America swallowed the half of the pizza he held in his mouth. "It's in the kitchen." He clarified for a second before snacking on the fries. I rolled my eyes as I got up and headed to the kitchen, my eyes zeroed in on the coffeemaker. I happily grabbed a cup and was about to tip over the jug of steaming liquid when I recalled something.

"Hey! Did you feed whale dude yet?" I called out behind me, jar frozen in my hand.

America didn't reply for a second, and I assumed he was thinking. "Aw, crap, not again." I could hear him deflate from the tone of his voice. "I hate going outside in the winter!" America cried out, probably pulling at his hair in despair.

"Don't worry," I reassured him as I returned to the dinning room. "I'll do it." I sighed, personally not ready for the cold either.

"Really?" America's eyes lit up at the idea of remaining in his warm home.

"Trust me, it can't be nearly as bad as winter storms of the 2010s." I muttered, turning around to exit the kitchen. I preceded to the front of the house and grabbed my old black coat and boots from the closet and then heading to the back hallway.

 _Fwwwshhhh!_ The wind howled violently against the back door, but like ripping off a band-aid, I quickly opened the door and stepped into the frost-covered outside to get it over with faster. I didn't bother shutting it since this would take a minute at most.

"Yo, whale dude! I got your dinner!" I announced during my approach towards the steamy pool.

 _Oooh, whale dude so has it made out here!_ I basked in the warmth of the steam while the small whale swam over to my side of the pool. He made a noise of greeting and his mouth opened in anticipation, similar to a puppy ready for his bone.

"Here you go!" I tipped over jug and watched all the liquid waterfall into his mouth, rationalizing he needed it more than I did. "It's a wonder you survived so long without me to feed you." I lowered myself to my haunches and gave his slick skin a pat.

And then I was falling backwards.

"Wha-" A gloved hand slapped over my mouth as I fell harshly onto my back. Instinctively, I sent a fierce double kick up to the figure above me.

"Ah! Dumme frau!" The cry in German caused my blood pressure spiked and I hurried leapt to my feet. Yet I saw only a flash of black uniform before he was springing towards me.

"Ameri-" The words died in my throat as I leapt to the side, only to stumble on my landing when I ended up on the uneven surface of a pile of water hoses. Fortunately, the German had fallen to the ground when he threw himself at air, but I still rushed to untangle myself.

 _Don't fight, escape!_ I kicked the hose off my foot and twisted towards the open door, but I was shoved forward and barely caught myself on my knees and hands. "

 _Get away!_ I swung around with my fist ahead of my body, yet the man avoided it by leaning back.

"Haulten!" He shouted, and as I took in his appearance, I was distracted enough for him to slam my head on the ground. The world went black as every bump on my head from my failed aikido practice decided to ache altogether, but I snapped my eyes open in time to the gloved hand reaching towards me.

 _Floooosh!_ A shot of water hit the German with enough strength to send him literary flying into the open door and as slammed back, the door banged against the house.

 _America had to...hear that..._ I blinked away the spots and tried to stand up, but I tipped over once I got on my knees.

 _Come on, May!_ I managed to roll back onto my knees at the edge of the pool while the German shakily got into a stand.

 _Now!_ I lurched to my feet, ignoring the ache and dizziness, an prepared to dash forward.

 _"FoundZzzyou there?"_ I halted against my will and the blue curtain fell over my eye.

 _"NowzzzimezZZzzyou gozzzZZZ"_ My knees gave out before I collapsed backwards and into the pool.

Footsteps stomped closer, but I was already drifting under.

 _A whirlpool leading me down in circles._

 _Tides slowing, but ocean is firm._

 _Endless blue, piercingly bright._

 _I'm drifting_

 _drifting_

 _gone_

* * *

"...shhmm...tttay..."

 _The waves crashing block the rest._

 _Ears fill with water._

 _Ocean enters my veins, weighing me down._

 _I could, should fight._

"Ssstt...May..."

 _I don't._

 _"LetzzZin your mindzzzZz."_

 _Ocean is me and_ _I am ocean._

 _We share same blood, same blue blue veins._

 _"Rest."_

 _Want to wake up, but waves are a cradle._

 _I sink down,_

 _drowning happily_

* * *

"Mmm...uussshh..." I was released by something I had already forgotten. All I knew was blue had faded to black, and now I was free.

 _Sleep... I'm tired._ My whole body denied my resistance to sleep and the cloud of exhaustion was shrouding my weak hold on consciousness.

"Could you...take care..."

 _Who? What's happening?_ Every thought was slippery and forgotten as quickly as it came.

"Watch...me."

The words were solidifying, just as I lost my hold and darkness claimed me once more.

* * *

"I'm hoping...soon... Glad...you're home."

There was a warmth, soft and familiar upon my head and accompanied by a soft baritone registering as familiar. "Such a fool that one...never any care..." The voice sounded upset, which gave me all the more reason to fight the drowsiness. "I'm sure he'll be fine and so will you..."

 _I know them._ I struggled even harder and my muscles strained to comply with my direction.

"-perhaps you'd like some of the muffins. You know America used to tell me they were the best."

 _Dad?_ I opened my eyes to mere silts as I peered into the blurry white walls. It quickly became apparent I was in a bedroom, lying under heavy covers, and as I turned my head, I found the source of the talking.

"I bet they still are, he has just gotten so damn prideful since then. That must be it! I'm not a bad cook, he just won't admit he likes my bakery-"

Green eyes met mine, and for a second, I was home.

"Why you're awake!" The prevalence of the accent is enough for me to know this wasn't my father, but at least it was a familiar face.

"Britain?" I coughed a couple times to clear up the dryness lining my throat. Then I leaned back into what I now recognized as my bed in America's house, which wasn't what I was expecting since Britain was here.

"Easy there, lad." Britain spoke softly while he rose from the chair stationed beside me. "You've been through quite the event." Britain's face looked oddly paler than normal, but I guess that could of been due to the low lighting in the room as the curtains were closed and only my lamp was on.

"Where is America?" I asked, greatly confused.

 _I wasn't captured or killed? But what happened to the Nazi? Why isn't America here?_ I felt odd, being so out of the loop.

"Before I answer that, could you tell me what you remember?" He inquired softly, as he eased me up to a sitting position and I tried not to snap out loud how I could get up myself. "I know the doctor said you should be fine, but I want to make certain." I could sense his worry as I collapsed against the headboard like limp ramen, the fact his hands twitched as if wanting to help me lay back down being a telling sign.

"I remember being in the middle of dinner when I realized whale dude needed his meal." I looked at Britain to grasp if he'd been told of this and saw him nod for me to go on, thus I did. "So I went outside and fed him, but then some Nazi attacked me. It's blurry, but I think I got really dizzy and fainted." My voice grew bitter with the last part, my pride wounded by the fact I fainted like some damsel in distress.

"That coincides with America's retelling." Britain rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"But what happened afterwards?" I questioned warily, on edge because I lacked so little information.

"Well, according to America, he heard your scuffle and went outside to check on you. There he found you in the pool upon of his whale." His eyes narrowed. "It appeared the whale was keeping you afloat while also assaulting the German with water from his blowhole."

"Whale dude came in with the work? For me?" I muttered in shock, causing Britain to stare at me quizzically until I waved him on.

"That scoundrel fled the second he saw America," Britain's eyes blazed an angry green, but he calmed as he went on. "He would of been pursued, however, America needed to attend to you." Britain's face held a deep frown as I processed this information.

 _How did a Nazi find America's house? Was he there to kill or capture?_ _Why_ _was he after me?_ I felt my head throb as the questions flew in.

 _And does this mean Germany knows about me?_ The throbbing grew worse.

"This can't be a coincidence." I spat out, sitting up straighter.

"Whatever do you mean?" Britain asked, his face pinched with what I knew to be concern.

"This the second time German soldiers have specifically been after me... I think Germany knows about me." A tremor entered my voice and I cleared my throat to cover it up.

"Don't jump to conclusions." Britain cautioned, despite his eyes saying he had similar suspicions. "It could be they have simply noticed your presence among nations and they suspect you know about our battle plans." Britain suggested, calming me as his theory distracted me from the idea Germany might have known about me.

"As a woman," I narrowed my eyes and Britain corrected. "And a mortal human, you may appear to be an easier target to get information from." Britain eyes narrowed. "A foolish concept, as if that we'd make that easy." There was a promise of pain to whoever thought of such a plan and a warmth smile stretched across my lips.

Though it was short lived as I shook my head side-to-side. "I want to agree, but those dreams always coincide when I'm attacked."

Britain's eyebrows jumped up. "It happened this time as well?"

"Yes, that's why I fell into the pool. It made me so dizzy, I lost my balance. Thankfully, America got me... Where is America?" I recalled my unanswered question and looked at the open doorway to my room, nearly expecting him to burst in claiming he was the hero.

Britain fidgeted slightly as if he was no longer comfortable. "He is...out." Britain no longer maintained eye contact, putting me on edge.

"Why? Not that I don't appreciate you being here," Britain gained the courage to look at me after my admittance. "But I was certain America wouldn't leave my side until I woke up."

 _It's hard enough to get away from me when I'm not injured!_ I thought jokingly, but happy to know my country liked me so much.

"In part, you are correct...he didn't leave the first few days." Britain admitted and I frowned seriously.

"What do you mean _days_?" My pitch was higher and Britain clearly heard that as he bent over to give my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Why do you think I'm here?" Britain sighed as he took back his hand to scrub his eyes. "America did take you to a hospital, but the doctors concluded you'd awaken within an hour so sent you home." He looked aged and more weary when he looked down at me.

"But that clearly didn't happen, so how long have I been sleeping?" I couldn't help but demand.

"For four days." I couldn't form words after he said that, so Britain continued. "Therefore when you remained asleep all day, America called me and asked me to hrm...fix you." Britain clearly didn't agree with America's odd wording _(too improper?)_.

"Yet I could not find anything to explain your coma state. Though that was before I knew of your daymare. Now I suspect that may have been the cause. For why, I'm not sure." Britain sounded like hadn't wanted to admit his lack of knowledge and was clearly badgering himself about it.

"It's okay, I don't know either. It's never made me sleep so long before." I reassured him, and Britain nodded distractedly. "So how long has America been gone?"

"You know that idiot, he can only stay still for so long. He left about two days ago." His eyes flickered towards the doorway, perhaps also wondering if America would make a sudden appearance.

"To do what?" I questioned, causing Britain's back tensed again.

"Oh, I don't know. He wouldn't tell me, blast him." Britain was frustrated, but I knew it branched from worry. "He could be chasing your assaulter, discussing with the officials how his home was found, or tightening security in his capital for all I know!" His voice turned into a growl as he crossed his arms.

"Probably all three." I sighed and pinched the bridge of nose. "This isn't good, he shouldn't do anything for me." The nation looked perturbed by what appeared to be self-deprecation, but I held a hand up to silence his protests.

"I don't belong here, in this world. Anything you or him does in my behalf is something you never did in the original timeline and has the potential to alter the future." I closed my eyes, bothered by the possible ramifications.

"We will address that _if_ and when we must." Britain attempted to reassure me.

 _But by then it would be to late._ I didn't vocalize my thought because as Britain had essentially said, fretting would not bring America back or return Britain to England faster.

"Okay, so what now?" I somewhat managed to forget my troubles. "We twiddle our thumbs until America returns to mega glomp me?" I half-smiled at the idea.

"Glomp you?" Britain's face pinched in distaste. "That sounds disturbing."

"Forget it." I turned my head to stare at my curtain-covered window, trying to make out what I could of the outside. "It's probably a beautiful day for winter, maybe I'll build a snowman to greet him." My joke was weak, which was probably why Britain stayed silent.

 _Do you want to build a snowman- Ugh, that song will be stuck in my head now!_ Considering I hadn't consumed coffee in days, I was suffering from withdrawal and was now very susceptible to random song lyrics playing in my head.

Fortunately Britain decided to take my attention away from Disney films. "I suppose you could, but perhaps you'd like some of my homemade soup first."

 _Oh no._ My head snapped back and I stared at him.

Britain frowned at the rash movement. "What is it? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"No reason, just remembered I was hungry." I made-up on the spot, but spoke with conviction.

 _You only sentenced my tongue to a terrible, terrible death._ I was hungry, but I had no desire to risk my life by becoming a taste-tester for Britain _(I might actually miss France right now)_.

"And while I appreciate the thought," I hurried on before Britain could offer me a bowl right here and now. "I'd prefer some scones. Maybe I could bake some for us."I suggested the first excuse that came to mind.

Yet I doubted my plan worked when Britain's eyes lighted up, clearly unaware of my true intention. "Why I can do that myself! You'll love my-"

"No!" Britain was stunned into silence, and I rushed to save face. "I mean, I've been lying around for so long. I could at least help you cook...stretch my legs and all that jazz." I spoke casually, while tossing my legs over the side of the bed.

Britain stared at me for a good minute, probably weighing my words, but soon gave me a small smile. "Alright, I suppose the both of us together would get you fe faster."

 _And this is totally as good as I'm getting... Wonderful._ Though it didn't show on my face, I felt dismayed I couldn't dissuade him entirely.

"Yeah, I could show you my dad's favorite recipe." I stood up without trouble, ignoring the ache deep in my bones.

Britain observed my sturdy stance and nodded to himself before heading out my room. "I've tried to send you some biscuits before, but America always refused to take them."

"God bless America."

"What was that, May?" Britain glanced back, and I quickly looked away when I realized my thought had been spoken aloud.

"I said I'm going to change and then I'll be right down." I rubbed the back of my hair nervously, hoping it looked like it needed to be brushed into a ponytail and grateful someone had placed me in my pajamas so my excuse was credible.

"Alright, I'll just gather the ingredients to prepare." Britain continued down the hall and I waited for him to leave before I collapsed back onto my bed in relief.

 _I am so going to give America the biggest burger in the world when he gets home._ If my taste buds could speak, I had a feeling they'd have agreed.

* * *

"Stand back!" The fire alarm wailed as I sprayed the foam on the blackened oven pan.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Britain demanded while he jumped back at the last second to avoid the foam. "Those were perfectly good scones!" He waved his mitten-covered hands angrily in the direction of the oven's interior, which is where the pan rested.

I stopped spraying, set the fire extinguisher on the counter, and glared at him with a frazzled look. "Are. You. Insane?!" I punctuated each word with a jabbed finger in Britain's chest. "They were on fire!" I was nearly yelling, but still held some restraint. Though my ponytail swayed violently as my body shook with fiery emotion.

"No they weren't!" Britain asserted, his face colored a mad red. "Merely...merely a little overdone." His voice faltered, and I took the advantage to continue.

"The flames were taller than me!"

"It wasn't so! Only crisp-"

"For goodness sake!" I grabbed Britain's head and turned it to face the coal black scones. "It's. Still. Smoking!" I released him and waved my hands frantically at the extremely baked goods that had smog lazily rising from them.

"I..." Faced with the evidence, the anger drained from Britain and his shoulders slumped. "Oh, you're right! Why must this always happen?!" He tossed off his mittens angrily and allowed them fall to the ground. I, however, couldn't help but concentrate on what might have caused this fiasco.

"I don't know what went wrong." I muttered to myself.

 _I monitored everything he did. I mixed the batter myself and even lowered the oven temperature when he wasn't looking._ I recalled each step, and couldn't think of anything that could of led to the creation of charcoal instead of scones.

 _I know they say Britain can't cook, but he did everything I would of done in the exact same circumstances! It isn't humanely possible...human..._

"That's it!" I concluded, and Britain wearily looked up from his attempt to lift one of the cookies, only for it to crumble into dust between his fingers.

"What? That I'm a failure whom can only do wrong?" Britain said gloomily, but I took no note as I came to a possible answer.

"No, you can't cook." I stated plainly, but his reaction was instantaneous.

"You too?! I thought you liked my food, but you're like everyone el-"

"No, you don't understand." I gently lowered the hands he thrown up to point accusingly at me, and he was taken aback enough to allow me to. "I meant you are not able, as in incapable." I tried to find the words, while Britain's face lessened in red though the scowl remained.

"Explain yourself." He yanked his hands back to cross his arms, on the defensive. I wondered what that action said about him _(used to being attacked?)_ , but moved on to answer.

"I mean, I don't think this was your fault." I pointed at the scones.

"So you believe the oven was at fault?" Britain guessed, his arms loosening.

I shook my head. "Not the oven. You, as in Britain the nation."

His head titled and his arms dropped altogether as he became puzzled. "I don't follow, you know I'm-"

"Gah," I felt my irritation returning at the trouble I had in explaining. "I'm trying to say Arthur Kirkland might of been able to cook if he were just some human. But you're more than that. You're a nation and representative of the majority of Britain." I looked at him seriously, yet his confusion persisted.

I tried to further explain. "Being a representation means representing their stereotypes, such as the belief that British people can't cook."

"You mean it's because I'm a nation that the scones burned?" Britain sounded thoughtful while I nodded. Yet anger soon came upon his face. "But my people can cook!"

"I'm not saying they can't." I said confidently, trying not to think about the fact my mother was a better cook than either me or my father.

"But the stereotype exists, and by design you're obligated to embody it." I said kindly, sympathetic.

"That..that actually makes sense..." Britain said in a breathy voice, like it was unheard of. "I never thought of my ability like that." Britain appeared stunned.

"Yeah, I guess all those times people said you couldn't cook they were wrong. It's not actually your fault." Britain was definitely stunned. "That would be like blaming the leaves for falling in autumn. It's beyond their control." I gave him a soft pat on the arm, getting him out of his stupor.

"Well perhaps you can tell America about this." He told me very smug-like. "Then he can stop pattering on about my apparent lack of taste buds."

"Trust me, I've got plenty to tell him when he gets home." I sighed, thinking of the rant I had planned for him in case he had done something rash. "But for now, how about I just get a cup of coffee?" I said with a smile, deciding not to mention how my stomach chose at this moment to send me a pang of hunger, clearly displeased with my decision.

"So what do we do with the scones?" He said, most likely talking to himself.

I replied regardless. "I'll figure something out."

"Then I suppose you don't need me anymore." Britain muttered and I noticed he looked disappointed. "America should be here soon, he simply can't stay away from you for too long." He turned away from me to stare at the failed scones.

"Actually," Britain glanced back as I walked up to him. "I was wondering if you'd like to go over my notes on the Travel. With what happened and all, we might make some headway into these mysteries."I suggested.

"You're right." Britain faced me again, and I could swear he appeared more chipper than usual. "Where is the journal?"

"In my room." I said. "Go upstairs and you'll find it on my dresser. I'll meet you in the living room." I said, already facing the cabinets to retrieve the coffee grinds. Britain murmured an agreement before I heard him walk off. Only then did I turn to the oven plate _(definitely charcoal)_ as I placed my hands on my hips.

 _Well...I know one place these could be of use_.

* * *

I flipped the poker stick around to shift the coal in the fireplace to a better location, which caused the flames to stretch higher.

"I see you've started the fire." I didn't gaze back at Britain, recognizing his presence. "I would of done it earlier, but I couldn't seem to locate any charcoal nearby." It took a great amount of effort for me not to stiffen, though I allowed the guilty expression to run over my face because he couldn't see it.

"Hm," I tried to make my hum sound natural. "I guess I was more fortunate, found some coal lying around here." I shrugged, and stood back up to place the poker against the wall.

 _I really hope the smoke doesn't smell like scones._ I eyed the fire warily before turning to Britain with a smile. He was already sitting on one of the chairs, flipping through pages of the notebook. I walked over and sat on the plush chair beside him to make it easier to converse.

"So this is all the information you've acquired?" He held the book up to me so I could see the page was titled DREAMS.

"Yup." I nodded with a smile, which gradually faded as I observed the inadequate details.

Britain must of felt similarly discouraged because his eyebrows scrunched together as he read my little notes. "There are...quite a bit of details about the circumstances." I knew he was attempting to come off as reassuring, but I shook my head.

"Yeah, and next to nothing about the dreams themselves." I didn't have to look at the book to know what it said, as I had looked it over so often it was ingrained inside my brain.

 _-Creates panic like I'm entrapped or being led somewhere involuntarily_

 _-The noise resembles radio static_

 _-Large body of water, possibly an ocean_

 _-I'm sinking in the dream? Or drowning?_

I recounted those meager lines, and felt my head dip down.

"This simply won't do." Britain tsked to himself thoughtfully and the book snapping close caused me to look up.

"What?"

He regarded me after he set the book on the small table. "May, I wish to try something with you. It could help us understand these dreams of yours." He stared evenly into my eyes and I felt a thoughtful frown tug on my mouth.

"You know I'm down for anything." Another thought hit me. "Excluding your black magic of course." My mouth became a stern line and I narrowed my eyes in disdain.

Britain's eyes sparked with annoyance. "And why not? You believe my magic false as well?" There was clear challenge in his tone.

"No, it's personal." I didn't explain further because I wasn't entirely sure how to.

 _I just don't want it near me._ Perhaps it was the instincts from my former life in the real world, but it didn't sit well with me to have any dealings with black magic.

I decided to speak further though before he went on a tirade. "And you really think I would accept that your _magical_ friends are real," I waved at the empty air space that Britain often claimed they occupied. "Despite how it makes you look like your having a psychiatric episode when you talk them,"

"I do not!"

"And then deny _magic_ itself?" I heard iron enter my voice as his constant questioning of my trust in him irked me.

Britain's rigid stance faltered and his anger dipped down once he realized his accusation held no basis. "I...I see." He had the decency to look ashamed. "My apologizes, I'm merely-"

"You're used to having people treat you like your insane or lying." I sighed, feeling my own sparks die down. "I know." I dipped my head in a moment of sympathy.

"Er...I wasn't go to suggest that anyway." Britain moved on less than elegantly, but I pretended not to point it out. "What I was really suggesting is that we attempt to unlock your mind with a psychological method." Britain sobered.

"How?" I leaned forward, attention caught.

"While I'm no expert, I have heard how hypnosis could unearth some submerged memories."

I blinked. "You mean like Freud did? With a pocket watch?" I knew it was a stereotype, but it was the first thing to come to mind.

 _"You are getting sleepy. Very sleepy."_ I couldn't quite place the dialogue, but I felt like I had watched a cartoon where one of the protagonists had said that to trick another character _(something on Cartoon Network?)._

"Yes, Sigmund Freud." Britain spoke the name as if he held some respect for the man, which I knew was rather rare. "Though I admit some of his theories were quite unorthodox, I hold more confidence in his work with psychoanalysis and repressed memories." Britain nodded to himself.

 _Yeah, the whole "all children want to kill one of their parents and mate with the other" was more than unorthodox._ I shuddered at the thought, and decided to stop thinking altogether to rid myself of it.

"-it would put you in a state where you are in the middle ground of conscious and unconscious." Britain was in the middle of an explanation so I rapidly tried to grasp what I'd missed. "Unlike prior encounters with these daymares, where you are incapable of taking action, you would be more aware and free to traverse through them." Britain held a hopeful little smile while I took the time to let the proposal sink in.

 _Is...is that possible?_ I had taken a psychology course once in high school, and from what I could remember of Freud, he was very successful at pulling out repressed memories from his patients.

 _And isn't that what these dreams are? A hidden memory?_ Just because I couldn't remember what happened in them didn't mean I held no memory of the dreams, but they were probably trapped in a part of my brain that I couldn't reach on my own.

"You really think it would work?" I didn't hide the longing in the timbre of my tone. The idea I could resolve this mystery, which seemed to be the core of everything else, after two years of struggling was overwhelming.

"In theory, yes." His words caused me to glance down to think for a moment.

"Let's do it!" I snapped my head up and Britain shifted back minutely, clearly shocked by the power behind my words. "Just tell me what to do." I added rapidly.

"Alright, luv," Britain raised his hands in a placating manner, despite appearing more pleased than upset by my reaction. "Do calm yourself."

"Dude, please," I waved off his gesture in a cocky manner. "I'm always chill."

"No you're not." I stilled in my seat. "You merely act as if you are." Britain's voice fell to a whisper volume immediately, and his wide eyes expressed how he was just as taken aback by his words as I was. Clearly he intended to keep that thought to himself, but had oddly enough blurted it out.

"I, um..." Britain flailed to redirect the conversation.

Deciding to save him, I reluctantly bit out, "I guess you caught me." I shrugged, despite how I was feeling quite a bit more exposed than I preferred.

My gaze dipped down to stare at the carpet below. "I am upset most of the time, but I try not to look like it. My dad thinks I picked it up from mom." I set my chin in my hand as I thought about it. "But hey, at least it makes the Incredible Hulk super relatable." My gaze rose up to find Britain appeared torn between confusion and being apologetic.

"Anyway, how about we get started?" I sat up tall while my hands fell down, and Britain gladly leapt at the chance to move on.

"Well, to begin I will need you to remain as you are." Britain's expression became more severe. "And you're going to have to do whatever I say without question." Britain spoke hesitantly, almost as if he believed I wouldn't listen to him.

"Britain," I waited for him to look me in the face before going on. "Unless you're a incredibly well disguised France," He made an offended noise, almost like a snort that was cut off before it could fully form _(Britain's amused?)_. "I trust you."

Britain composed himself in seconds and his eyes shone in determination. "Close your eyes." I did so. "This should help you concentrate on only what you hear me say." He explained, his voice just a tad deeper either because he wanted it to be or losing my sight let me hone in to the idiosyncrasies of his voice more easily. All the same, in a lower octave, his tone sounded richer in a way that made me smile.

 _Like dad...almost._

"Picture yourself lying in bed, resting." Britain guided, and I pushed aside all former thoughts to follow. "All you see is darkness." It was easy to imagine since my eyes were closed. "You hear nothing and feel nothing, everything is at peace." I felt my shoulders slowly lower as body relaxed and I sunk deeper into the cushions.

"But then there is something...or someone reaching out to you." I frowned, and tensed as I tried with all my might to recall anything. "It's all around you like you've fallen into-" His words muffled into oblivion as I was hooked onto one word.

 _Falling... Yes, I'm always falling in them._ The setting of my imagination shifted so I was no longer lying down on a mattress, but I had taken a dip backwards and was heading straight down.

 _I am falling down a dark and empty space of nothing._ I had entered into a daymare of my own making.

"Perhaps it's endless." I sunk further, but not into the couch.

 _There is nothing here, in fact I can't tell if my back faces the ground or the sky._

"What do you see?" His words vibrated my eardrums like the vibration of a gong.

 _Everything is riddled with shadows and I cannot make out nothing but myself._

"I'm falling...into..." I started to speak hardly above a hiss, but I get caught up in the setting within my mind.

 _I'm weightless and there is nothing but me._

 _I am lost in a silent world._

Britain must notice my struggle because he soon continues. "Or perhaps you're not really falling, but it is much slower than that. You are sinking into..."

 _A flood of color gushes in, and the ink is replaced by the clarity of water._

"Some type of ocean or pool of water." I announced, my smiling evident both in reality and the daymare.

 _Yeah, there is always water._ Something rung true about my statement, like a puzzle piece snapped into the perfect place.

 _I am not alarmed by the fact I can apparently breathe under water, the drifting making my rationale hazy._

"So you're sinking into water, a large amount of it." Britain smoothly resumed as if he'd never stopped. "How does it feel?"

"It's warm." It's an automatic response because I didn't have to think about it.

 _Like I have taken a long sip of a beverage, the warmth starts at the top of my throat and spreads down my chest until it's everywhere._

"It is comfortable, perhaps soothing as well." He droned on, probably noting how lax my position on the couch had become. "But you don't just feel, you must see something too." He fished for the details.

"It's all blue, nearly transparent." I hummed, knowing there is little else to describe as I can't even see the ocean floor.

 _I am drifting and my limbs are limp in the blue cocoon._

"Perhaps you hear something as well...a voice?" Britain briefly sounded uncertain, but he maintained an flat tone so as to not disrupt my concentration.

"I don't..." I felt my forehead scrunch up.

 _I start to flounder in the water, creating my own little waves as I squirm._

"It's quiet." I could not recall anything but a firm silence in the water. "But it shouldn't be." I figured out something was absent because my daymare simply wasn't that nightmarish enough.

 _I use my hands to paddle up in the chances it will slow my descent. I don't want to reach the bottom without receiving any answers._

"Then you must not be listening closely enough." His tone indicated it was a comment instead of a reprimand. "Search for what led you to this place, the...static that guided you down." Britain was stumped on how to precede, which was obvious from his sudden mentioning of my note from the book.

 _There is only me, my thoughts and movements to disrupt the quiet. My arms and my legs in a violent rotation so I can pause in my drifting._

"No, I don't hear anything." I practically hissed, my frustration bleeding into my voice. "It isn't like there's some radio randomly floating in this ocean." I clench my teeth and my body tenses against the couch.

"Then reach deeper, May." The sudden sound of my name anchored me enough that I was able to edge away from my frustration. "It might be very hard to hear, but you can reach it." He enunciated the "can" with such conviction that I knew I couldn't give up.

 _Is anyone there? Can you hear me?_ _I pushed my thoughts outwards, stilling so there will be no sounds unless someone else makes them._

"Reach out your voice and keep your ears open." Britain's encouragement convinces me not to be discourage by the silence.

 _Where are you? I know you're always supposed to be here._ I am attempting to be patient, but when no reply after what is surely a minute, I frown in disappointment.

"Can you hear anything? Is there something or someone with you?" Britain's questions were hardly noted as I loosen my hold on this dream.

 _Please... I see little point in remaining in an ocean by my lonesome, so I redirect my attention to real life_

 _"YouzzZz?" The scratchy echo of a voice causes me to flounder in surprise. I then look around rapidly._

"Britain, I can hear someone. They must be here."

"Good!" Britain's baritone shifted to its typical pitch in order to allow room for his excitement. "Now what are they say-"

 _"ZzmezzZcome tozzz" I flinch when the static distorts the voice to a point that it's the equivalent of a microphone squealing._

"Wait...wrong..." I struggled to make out words, but my mouth wouldn't move.

 _Oh no_ _. The voice is now a presence like a person lingering behind me uncomfortably close._

"Saying...you..." Britain could no longer reach, but I hoped he realized something was going wrong.

 _"YouzzZreadyzzz"_

 _Britain? _ I was uncertain whether it was a thought or a whisper, but it took all the energy I had left to say it before I can do nothing more.

 _The tides picks up abruptly, and I'm knocked down._

 _A torrent of blue blue blue BLUE BLUE BLUE_

 _is everwhere and I am spun into its depths_

 _I yell instinctively._

 _And water rushes into my lungs._

 _"Zzzmayzzt?"_

 _I can't breathe, see, hear_

 _"ZZZZhurtzznozzz"_

 _The tides slow faster than they had rushed in,_

 _but I still can't breathe._

 _"ZzzZZZZzzzz!"_ _The static sharpens to siren pitch, alarmed._

 _I want help, but thoughts are slippery eels_

 _Until a push sends me flying away away and up to a sky._

 _I take in air desperately._

 _And blackout gladly._

* * *

"Chnn...koo..."

I felt nothing but resentment as I entered a conscious, albeit groggy, state.

 _This...again? I passed out again?_ Fortunately, the disorientation was already leaving me.

"Kur...May..." I took my time to cracking open an eye, unfortunately used to walking up to a running dialogue.

 _Ouch!_ I shut it immediately after being confronted by a stream of sunlight.

 _Slowly, nice and slow._ I peeled open both eyes to mere silts, waited for them to adjust to the sun, and then gradually widened them.

 _Is that...America?_ I raised my head cautiously, but it was an unnecessary gesture since my muscles didn't protest the movement.

"...Iggy..." The disdain was clear in America's tone despite how I could barely hear his mutter.

 _What has this idiot been doing?_ America's left arm was in a white sling, leaving the sleeves of his bomber jacket to hang loosely on his sides. Though he probably didn't realize it, he was pouting as Britain adjusted the sling on his shoulder. Britain's back was turned towards me, but I had a feeling he was scowling if the dark mutterings coming from him were any indication.

"America?" I called out softly, yet it still had the effect of a trumpet being played at the library as two heads snap towards my direction.

"May!" America cheered, maneuvering his arm from Britain as he passed him by. His grin was wide and his eyes were vibrant while he rushed up to my bedside.

"Oy!" Britain growled briefly, after nearly being knocked over by America's rush, but he too hurried over to my side.

I fixed myself into a sitting position and raised my head to face him. "You're finally back, huh? What took you so long?" I questioned a little chidingly, and America's arm twitched like he wanted to rub the back of his head sheepishly.

Like his typical shameless self though, America didn't allow that to ruin his good mood. "Ah, nan to ieba ī? Isogashikat...ta... May?" His speech broke off and I fell back against the headboard without registering the sensation.

 _What in the actual..._ The language was definitely heard by me, but like my brain had been switched to the off position, I couldn't comprehend what I'd just witnessed.

"May-san?" Britain leaned in closer and I must admit I jumped back.

"A-America?" I somehow regained my voice, but I was still all wide-eyes and a heart racing. "What did you... What did you just say?" I tried and failed to stop my voice from wavering, while Britain looked ready to pull out a stethoscope and make certain I wasn't on my way to a heart attack and America simply appeared puzzled.

 _I must of heard wrong! ...Watched too many animes in Japanese last week...or something._

America blinked and Britain observed me critically. "Isogashika...tta..." America words fell off once again, his face pinched with concern. I could only assume my face was a sight to see when a recognizable language once again failed to reach my ears.

"Okay," I held up my hand to stop Britain from moving towards me with what appeared to be a thermometer in hand. "What is happening? Why can't I understand what you guys are saying?!" The itch of my voice practically squeaked as I stared at those who looked and acted like familiar companions, but sounded nothing lie them.

"Nani?!" Their exclaims merged while the feeling of wrongness made me feel trippier than when I had woken up.

"You're not speaking English... You-you sound like you're speaking Japanese." They looked ready to fall over as I rubbed a hand roughly down my face before pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Nani May-" America's started running his mouth at high speed, but I could hardly catch a thing he said. Though that might of simply been because he was also using his uninjured arm to shake me by the shirt collar as if that would fix everything.

 _Not even a language barrier teaches him about personal space._ I probably resembled Japan that one time he allowed Italy to drive him to a meeting while my brain rattled against my skull.

"Baka! Kanojo kara orite kudasai! " The double vision image of green, which I assumed was Britain, actually seemed to be moving his mouth faster as he shoved America off of me. They began to argue among themselves and my name was thrown in occasion, therefore I figured it had something to do with me.

 _Ugh, it's like when parents didn't want me to know what they were saying._ I recalled moments in my childhood where my parents wanted to discuss "adult" topics and they'd switch to Japanese or French so I wouldn't understand them. It was one of the downfalls of having multilingual parents.

"-Igirisu! Anata wa kore o yatta!" America shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Britain, whom took offence.

"Fuseikaku, Ameri-"

"Stop!" Both Britain and America froze in their attempts to throttle each other and froze. "I have no idea what's happening, but you two going on like a Japanese soap opera isn't helping me think!" I pushed myself to the side of the bed and slid onto my feet in front of them while they untangled themselves.

"Demo-"

"No buts, America." I told him, causing him to look confused before his expression became hopefully. "Yes, I know a couple of Japanese words thanks to my mom so I sort of understand you." I corrected him, making very sure to stick to an English vocabulary _(not that that's hard)_ since I had a theory about what was going on. "Anyway, how about I do most of the talking considering you guys can understand me?" I gave them inquisitive looks to make sure.

"Hai." They both nodded, though America continued. "Anata wa mattaku onaj-"

"Please," I held a hand up to stop what sounded to me like background noise. "Only 'yes' or 'no' because everything else will be lost on me." I sighed, feeling only mildly bad as America deflated and looked downright despondent that he couldn't babble on to me.

"Sooo," I tried to figure out where to start this investigation. "I sound like I'm speaking English, right?" I figured making sure their hearing wasn't messed up like mines seemed to be was a good idea.

"Hai." They nodded enthusiastically, perhaps exaggerating the emotion to make certain I understood them.

"And when you talk, you do _not_ hear yourselves speaking Japanese?" I recalled their shock when I told them they'd weren't speaking English. "You hear yourselves speaking English?" I finally asked, and was not surprised when both gave an affirmative to prove my theory correct.

 _So I was right not to try speaking Japanese to them._ My theory was one reason I hadn't made an attempt. The other was the fact some small, superstitious part of me wondered if my Asian ancestors would magically appear to haunt me if I started butchering their native tongue _(in anime no less!)_.

"In that case," I gazed out my bedroom window, using the window sill as a focus point to steady my thoughts. "There is something wrong with _me_ , not you guys." I returned my line of sight to the two worried countries.

"Tabun-" Britain cut himself off with a frustrated look, clearly ready to speak to me before recalling he couldn't.

"Maaay." America whined in an inflection I knew too well for my likely _(he's so childish!)_ and yet it came off foreign. I frowned in the universal expression of sympathy to express how I too wished we could talk.

"Amerika," Britain started, walking up to America with the appearance of someone in deep thought. "Nani o itte-" I stopped listening since I couldn't understand.

Yet whatever had been said seemed to brighten America's outlook on the situation. "Un!" My nation agreed with Britain, something rare indeed, before he rushed out the room.

Britain turned to me, as if he wanted to explain, so I decided to offer up a guess. "So you guys have an idea...that can help us communicate?" Britain smiled slightly and was in the process of nodding when a large crash resounded in the hallway outside.

"Amerika?" Britain frowned in concern, and shifted to poke his head out the room only to immediately thrown himself back.

 _Jeez!_ I jumped back as well when a large blackboard flew into the room with a grinning America attached to it.

"Baka!" Britain barked at him as he leapt back to his feet and brushed off his clothes.

"Hm?" America blinked in the face of Britain, who lectured him while I inspected the blackboard.

 _Haven't seen one of these since second grade._ I observed how the blackboard was held up by two stilts on the left and right side of it, which were then attached to wheels so it could be mobile.

"So you want to write to me?" I asked, not even looking away from the board as Britain stopped lecturing America.

"Mhm!" America produced a piece of chalk from seemingly nowhere and without preamble began to scribble something down.

Though I frowned after he stepped back.

"May?" Britain observed the dismay on my face as I sighed.

"I don't see English," I gazed sorrowfully at America's writing. "Just Japanese characters." The disappointment became more evident on America, as he seemed to slump over, but I was already looking away. "Which is odd..." I walked over to the stack of novels I had borrowed from America's bookshelf downstairs and observed the names on the binding of them. "Since I can still read these book titles."Britain appeared puzzled as he followed me over to the novels, as if they held the key to understanding.

"Maybe it isn't just me that is having perception issues, but perhaps it is also your world that is sending me mixed signals." I turned to America, and nearly face-palmed at the brain-dead expression on his face _(it's not rocket science!)_. On the other hand, Britain only looked thoughtful as I plucked the piece of chalk out of America's hands.

"May?" America questioned as I started to write, though I didn't answer since I was concentrating on my writing.

"What does this say, America? And please try your best to capture the emotion of it too." I held a serious tilt to my face while I backpedaled to allow America to view the board.

 _Keep your ears open, listen closely._

America leaned in to make sure he could see my smaller writing and then rose to a stand. "It's easy!" He repeated with feigned excitement, emphasis only slightly dampened by his uncertainty over what I wanted.

 _I know that voice! But it's not the English dub voice actor..._ I felt an idea of mines forming, but I required more evidence.

"Okay, I think I know what's happening, but I need to hear America say more to prove it." I explained and Britain gave me an inquiring look.

"Alright, so remember how I said that the...device we use to watch you guys in my world was made by a Japanese guy?" I had almost forgotten my original explanation, causing me to stumble considering it had been two years ago.

"Hai." Britain dragged out the word, uncertain why I brought that up.

"Well because it was a Japanese person, you guys were first observed by Japanese people. And that means you guys originally sounded like you're speaking Japanese." They're face scrunched up in distaste or confusion, but probably a combination at the idea of speaking a language that wasn't their own or having aspects of their lives viewed for entertainment.

"But when they started showing you guys to other countries, they translated the Japanese to English so Americans like me could understand you. Normally you guys sound like the English versions of yourself to me, but I think my accident with the dreams made something go wrong with the signals this world is sending to my sight and hearing." I wasn't sure how else to explain or if I was even right, but it was all I could think of.

A large "oh" expression came upon Britain, while America still appeared to have been mind-blown. "Anyway, America could you say..." I went through the memories in my head and tried to think of a line of English which had randomly appeared in the Japanese dub.

 _Well there is that one..._ It was a struggle not to laugh as I recalled the episode America had Japan watch a "scary" movies with him, and the actor had suddenly thrown in English lines.

"Say 'It's scary', and try to sound really freaked out."I somehow kept a blank look, but that didn't help.

"MAY?!" America looked rightly taken aback, even moving back as if I had told him he would only eat salad from now on.

"Oh come on, hero, it's for a good cause." I tired to reassure him, only for a snicker of laughter to come from my side. Thus I rounded on Britain who had been staring at America with a smirk on his lips.

"Britain, please act your literal age." I deadpanned and immediately America burst into laughter at the sight of Britain's reprimanded expression.

 _Wait a second, that sound like the English dub laughter-_ Lightning went up my spine, the world was no longer there, and blue enveloped my entire vision.

And then the world righted itself as if nothing happened.

"Hey, dude, are you okay?" America glanced at me, still smiling after his laughing fit.

"I can understand you again!" My volume reflected my overjoyed state.

"Really?" America ran up to me in disbelief, but after seeing me nod, he seemed to process it. "HELL YEAH, MAY IS BACK!" He cheered, raising his lone free arm in exultation, and causing me to stand back before he actually did bear hug me.

"Is this true?" Britain walked up to me in a much calmer manner. "You're hearing has fixed itself without any aid?" He sounded mildly suspicious, probably due to the philosophy of "too good to be true".

I shrugged. "I don't know."

 _But it might make more sense if we study the dreams and this incident more._ I vowed to note all of this in my journal once I got the chance.

"Well that was super freaky, dudes!" America interjected, pushing himself to stand in between me and Britain. "And it's all the limey's fault!" He said it like it was a cheer, but anyone with common sense could hear the implication.

 _Why do I feel like that one kid in the middle of a custody battle?_ I thought after being caught up in America's one-armed hug, which I honestly wasn't sure I could escape considering the strength of it.

"Excuse me? I didn't-"

"You're the reason she was knocked out again!" America's face soured, as he sent a glare towards Britain. "You and you're psychics stuff could of hurt her bad!" I was certain both me and Britain face palmed at America's butchering of English. "If you hadn't-"

"Hey, down America! Dowwwn!" I slipped out of America's loosened hold, since he'd been caught up in yelling, and stood between America and his target. Though Britain continued looking down, almost as if he didn't want to put up a defense against America's accusation. Almost like he believed it too.

"But he-"

"Was doing what I asked him to do." I crossed my arms and posed myself defiantly before my country. "So if you want to be upset at anyone, you're looking at her." I asserted, and America frowned, clearly upset he couldn't _(wouldn't ever)_ lash out at me. "I certainly don't blame him for anything." I sent Britain an encouraging glance, which he returned with a shocked gaze back.

"Besides, it looks like I wasn't the only one who's been taking some risks." I placed my hands on my hips and gave America a look over, eyeing the sling.

"Indeed, he has been reckless." Britain finally stepped forward, regaining confidence now that the subject wasn't him.

"Dudes!" America whined as I and Britain gave him unimpressed looks.

"I just remembered." Britain rubbed a hand over his face. "You never did tell me why you hadn't had your arm treated before coming here!" Britain snapped.

"I already said, I didn't notice the arm thing!" America pouted, clearly not understanding our concern.

 _How do you not notice your arm is broken?!_ I thought before recalling America was a nation who healed nearly as fast as Wolverine from X-Men. Though that also made me wonder how badly he had to have been hurt for his arm to need to be placed in a sling, despite his super healing.

"That being so, you shouldn't just come in with you're arm bleeding everywhere!" Britain continued, perhaps even more upset than myself.

"So what? I'll just have the carpet cleaned!" Aggravation slipped into his tone.

"That's not what I meant! You nearly gave me a-" Britain cut himself off, and I thought I saw the faintest hint of ruby on his cheeks.

"Gave you what?!" America looked just as frustrated, and for once, his cheeks were inflamed.

"Never mind, you dolt." Britain muttered so softly that the venom he intended fell flat. "It seems I've overstayed my welcome, and since May seems fine, I'll take my leave." Britain abruptly announced, his posture stiff as he headed out my room.

"Well if anything else comes up," I somehow found my voice despite the suddenness of his leave surprising me. "Expect a call from me."

Britain nodded curtly after tossing a coat, that was on the chair next to my bed, over his arm. "Just keep and eye on that idiotic Yankee. His arm should heal in the next couple of hours or so." Britain spoke hardly over a mummer without turning back, and then he was out the door.

"Ugh, he was making this place smell like tea anyway!" America shouted loud enough that I knew he was aware Britain would hear him. Therefore neither of us was shocked by the rough sound of a door slamming close downstairs. "At least I could get some coffee without him yelling at me." America shrugged his good shoulder, preparing to head down.

"Wait," I grabbed America's arm and he turned back with me like he knew what I wanted to ask. The guarded expression on his face telling me more than he probably wanted to tell.

 _He won't listen, will he?_ I wanted to tell him he shouldn't have run off and got hurt. I wanted to scold him on the dangers of letting his life be impacted by me, a girl out of time. I even wanted to punch him just because I have anger issues and it would make me feel a smidgen better.

I didn't.

I wiped away any trace of inner turmoil and made my inflection sassy as I spoke. "Just tell me if I should pack my bags and get ready to move to a safe house." I sighed, one hand on my hip and my face shifting side to side in exasperation.

"Yeah right, dude!" America bounced back to his usual self. "It's all been taken care of by awesome security bros." America grinned wider, just a little too much for me to name it genuine.

I assessed him for a moment, but decided there was no point demanding more details. "I never doubted it." I gave a cocky smile that was just as false as his. "Now go downstairs and sit by the fireplace while I boil us two cups of Joe." I was already leading America out of my bedroom and towards the stairs.

America pouted was evident in his voice. "But duuude, I can make it-"

"Not with that arm, and if I catch you picking at it like a trapped animal, it will stay on all night." I gave him a "try me" look as we reached the bottom of the stairs. Grumbling, America realized this was a lost battle and reluctantly wandered off to the living room. I smirked in satisfaction while I left to enter the kitchen.

 _Now please tell me I didn't drink all the coffee._ I thought bashfully, reaching a hand out to the cabinets above.

"WHO PUT SCONES IN THE FIRE PLACE?!"

I froze in a moment of shock, which soon melted into embarrassment.

"Uh, well you see..."

* * *

 **Fracture** (also known as Rupture): The process of being **Broken**

* * *

 **So any guesses about what's going on to May? Some of you guys are close in your theories, and I can't wait to reveal it all.** **Next time, expect to see a lot more of America and May hanging out, but also more reveal's about May's mysterious dreams.**

 **Also, I am not fluent in Japanese so for anyone who is, please forgive the probably butchered language above.**

 **See you guys in a few weeks!**


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